Eritrea cuts ties with Ethiopia; witnesses report Eritrean troops in northern Ethiopia
7 October 2026
Ethiopia ordered its embassy in Eritrea closed and declared 10 Eritrean diplomats persona non grata, with 48 hours to leave.
Eritrea responded by severing all diplomatic ties with Ethiopia.
Ethiopia says Eritrea, Sudan and Egypt back the opposition alliance led by the Tigray People's Liberation Front; all three deny it.
Ethiopian forces have taken Mekelle, the regional capital of Tigray.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed was sworn in for another five-year term and has said landlocked Ethiopia must have access to the Red Sea.
Witnesses told Reuters they saw dozens of Eritrean soldiers in Adigrat, about 25 km from the Eritrean border; Reuters could not verify this.
Eritrea's information minister did not deny that troops had crossed.
In plain words
Persona non grata Persona non grata — A diplomat the host country declares unwelcome, who must leave or lose immunity.
TPLF Tigray People's Liberation Front — The group leading the opposition alliance fighting Ethiopian forces.