AU Commission urges restraint as Ethiopia, Eritrea tensions rise

The African Union Commission has called on Ethiopia, Eritrea and Egypt to exercise restraint and resolve their differences through peaceful and diplomatic means amid rising tensions in the region.

In a statement, the AU Commission said it was closely monitoring the situation and warned against actions or statements that could further escalate tensions and undermine regional peace and stability.

“The Commission calls on all three Member States to exercise maximum restraint and refrain from actions or statements that could further escalate tensions and undermine regional peace and stability,” the AUC said.

The commission also stressed the importance of maintaining channels of communication and urged the three countries to address their differences through established diplomatic channels and peaceful dialogue, in line with the principles of the AU Constitutive Act.

“The AU Commission stands ready, in consultation with the countries concerned, to support efforts towards de-escalation, dialogue and the peaceful resolution of differences,” it said.

The appeal comes as relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea have deteriorated, with the two countries expelling each other’s diplomats.

Ethiopia on Thursday, October 1 closed its embassy in Asmara and expelled 10 Eritrean diplomats, giving them 48 hours to leave the country.

Eritrea responded by announcing that it was severing diplomatic ties with Ethiopia and closing its embassy in Addis Ababa.

Ethiopia has also accused Eritrea, Sudan and Egypt of supporting an opposition alliance led by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) amid renewed fighting in northern Ethiopia. The countries have denied the allegations.

Separately, Ethiopia and Egypt have been involved in a diplomatic dispute, with Addis Ababa expelling an Egyptian diplomat and Cairo responding by expelling an Ethiopian embassy official.

The tensions come amid renewed fighting in Ethiopia’s Tigray region. The AU has previously warned that an escalation could undermine the 2022 Pretoria peace agreement that ended the two-year conflict between the Ethiopian government and the TPLF.

Regional relations are also shaped by longstanding disputes over Ethiopia’s access to the Red Sea and disagreements between Egypt and Ethiopia over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and Nile water resources.

The AU Commission reiterated its call for restraint and dialogue and said it was ready to support efforts to de-escalate tensions and resolve the differences peacefully.