ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) — Ethiopia ordered 10 Eritrean diplomats out of the country Thursday and closed its embassy in Eritrea, sharply escalating tensions between the neighbors hours after blasts were heard across the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa and as fighting raged in the northern region of the country.
Ethiopia's Foreign Ministry gave the diplomats 48 hours to leave Addis Ababa, citing their “involvement in activities that pose a direct
threat to Ethiopia's national security." Ethiopia last week accused Eritrea of financing rebels in the Tigray region, who took control of several towns in renewed fighting against federal forces.
Eritrea's Foreign Ministry called the move “astounding” and said it had “no option but to reciprocate in kind and sever all diplomatic ties with Ethiopia with all the negative corollaries that this entails.”
An intelligence service official, who was not authorized to speak to the media, confirmed that there had been three blasts in three different locations in Addis Ababa overnight, but declined to provide further details.
A diplomatic source who requested anonymity for his safety described hearing a blast at 7 p.m. near the defense headquarters, followed by a siren. Residents near the defense headquarters also said they heard a blast near a factory in the area past midnight.
It remains unclear whether the blasts were related to an attack or were part of training exercises at the defense headquarters.
The explosions came hours after the National Intelligence and Security Service banned the flying of drones in Addis Ababa and surrounding areas.
In Tigray, the rebel Tigray People’s Liberation Front recently took over the region's main airport, forcing a suspension of flights.
The United Nations has called for de-escalation of the fighting and dialogue between the government and seven opposition groups that recently formed an alliance to challenge Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
The renewed fighting has shattered a 2022 peace agreement that ended a devastating two-year war in Tigray. The TPLF is an armed political group based in Tigray, and for years it was the dominant party in a coalition that ruled Ethiopia between 1991 and 2018. It has been outlawed by Abiy’s government.
Displaced people living in camps since the 2020 war in Tigray said Thursday that they could hear gunfire from kilometers (miles) away near the Hitsats camp in northwestern Tigray.
The camp is home to about 16,000 people who have been living there for six years and are now afraid they may be displaced again.
“We hear fighting supported by heavy artillery, and drones hover in the sky every day,” a resident told The Associated Press over the phone.
Residents in the Tigrayan capital, Mekelle, say communication, banking and other essential services have been disrupted by the fighting.
Abdelaziz Ahmed, 35, a merchant, said the lack of cash caused by disruptions to banking services was affecting his business.
“People cannot buy anything because they lack cash, so we cannot sell. My current stock won’t last more than a month. My only hope is that all these challenges pass and peace is restored in Tigray,” he said.
A taxi driver who declined to be named because of fears for his safety said fuel prices had doubled on the black market.
"The war has made life extremely difficult. We don’t even have money for food or rent,” he said.
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AP’s Africa coverage at: https://apnews.com/hub/africa
