African Union urges restraint after Ethiopia, Eritrea and Egypt expel diplomats
The African Union Commission called on Ethiopia, Eritrea and Egypt to show maximum restraint after a day of diplomatic expulsions and Eritrea's decision to cut ties with Ethiopia, amid renewed fighting in northern Ethiopia.
1 / 3
The story, neutrally told
The African Union Commission called on Ethiopia, Eritrea and Egypt to exercise maximum restraint and refrain from actions or statements that could worsen tensions and undermine regional peace and stability. Anadolu AgencyN “exercise maximum restraint and refrain from actions or statements that could further escalate tensions and undermine regional peace and stability.” Read at Anadolu Agency ↗ Arab NewsRC “exercise maximum restraint and refrain from actions or statements that could worsen tensions” Read at Arab News ↗ In a statement issued late on Thursday 1 October, the Commission said it was "closely following with concern" the escalating tensions, urged the three countries to use established diplomatic channels and peaceful dialogue, and said it stood ready to support de-escalation in consultation with them. Anadolu AgencyN “closely following with concern”“The AU Commission stands ready, in consultation with the countries concerned, to support efforts towards de-escalation” Read at Anadolu Agency ↗ The Jerusalem PostRC “it said in a statement late on Thursday” Read at The Jerusalem Post ↗ On Thursday Ethiopia ordered its embassy in Eritrea closed and declared 10 Eritrean diplomats persona non grata, prompting Asmara to sever all diplomatic ties with Ethiopia. The Jerusalem PostRC “Ethiopia ordered the closure of its embassy in Eritrea and declared 10 Eritrean diplomats persona non grata” Read at The Jerusalem Post ↗ Arab NewsRC “prompting Asmara to sever all diplomatic ties with its neighbour” Read at Arab News ↗
Ethiopia also declared an Egyptian embassy employee, named by Anadolu as Ahmed Moharam Ahmed Soliman, persona non grata and gave him 48 hours to leave; Cairo responded in kind by expelling an Ethiopian embassy counsellor with the same deadline. Anadolu AgencyN “embassy employee Ahmed Moharam Ahmed Soliman had been declared persona non grata and ordered to leave the country within 48 hours” Read at Anadolu Agency ↗ The Jerusalem PostRC “Cairo responded in kind by declaring an Ethiopian embassy counselor in Egypt persona non grata and giving him 48 hours to leave.” Read at The Jerusalem Post ↗ Reuters reported that Addis Ababa accuses Eritrea, Sudan and Egypt of backing an opposition alliance led by the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), which has fought federal troops since last week; the three countries deny it. The Jerusalem PostRC “Addis Ababa has accused Eritrea, Sudan, and Egypt of supporting an opposition alliance led by the Tigray People's Liberation Front”“The three countries deny the accusation.” Read at The Jerusalem Post ↗ Reuters described the clashes as the biggest escalation of fighting in Ethiopia since the 2020-2022 civil war, in which hundreds of thousands were killed and Eritrea fought alongside the federal government. The Jerusalem PostRC “The clashes mark the biggest escalation of fighting in Ethiopia since the end of a 2020-2022 civil war” Read at The Jerusalem Post ↗
Anadolu links the friction to Ethiopia's pursuit of Red Sea seaport access, the long-running dispute between Egypt and Ethiopia over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, and shifting military alliances in the Horn of Africa. Anadolu AgencyN “disagreements over Red Sea seaport access following landlocked Ethiopia's efforts to secure maritime routes” Read at Anadolu Agency ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on.
Left0 outlets
No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Centre1 outlet
- Framing
- Anadolu leads with the AU appeal and sets it against the structural disputes: seaports, the Nile dam and shifting alliances.
- Emphasis
- The AU's offer to support de-escalation and the underlying geopolitical causes.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not mention Ethiopia's accusation that the three countries back the TPLF-led alliance, or Egypt's reciprocal expulsion.
- For example
-
“driven by disputes over regional seaport access, water resources and shifting military alliances in the Horn of Africa” — Anadolu Agency
Right2 outlets
- Framing
- Reuters copy run by the Jerusalem Post and Arab News leads with the AU appeal, then the tit-for-tat expulsions; the Jerusalem Post version adds the TPLF accusation and the fighting.
- Emphasis
- The diplomatic expulsions and, in the Jerusalem Post version, the scale of the fighting and the denials.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Neither version mentions the Red Sea access or Nile dam disputes, or the AU's offer of support.
- For example
-
“Ethiopia accuses Eritrea, Egypt, Sudan of supporting opposition alliance” — The Jerusalem Post
“prompting Asmara to sever all diplomatic ties with its neighbour” — Arab News
What every side reports
- The AU Commission urged Ethiopia, Eritrea and Egypt to exercise maximum restraint in a statement late on Thursday.
- Ethiopia closed its embassy in Eritrea and expelled 10 Eritrean diplomats; Eritrea cut diplomatic ties.
- Ethiopia and Egypt each expelled a diplomat with 48 hours to leave.
-
Eritrea severed diplomatic ties with Ethiopia after Ethiopia closed its Asmara embassy and expelled 10 Eritrean diplomats.
Reported- Reports 3
- Anadolu Agency, Arab News, The Jerusalem Post
-
The African Union Commission urged Ethiopia, Eritrea and Egypt to exercise maximum restraint.
Reported- Reports 3
- Anadolu Agency, Arab News, The Jerusalem Post
African Union organisation
The AU Commission says it is following the tensions with concern, urges dialogue through diplomatic channels and offers to support de-escalation.
“stands ready, in consultation with the countries concerned, to support efforts towards de-escalation” — Anadolu Agency
Ethiopia place
Ethiopia expelled Eritrean and Egyptian diplomats and accuses Eritrea, Sudan and Egypt of backing the TPLF-led alliance.
“Addis Ababa has accused Eritrea, Sudan, and Egypt of supporting an opposition alliance” — The Jerusalem Post
Eritrea place
Eritrea severed diplomatic ties with Ethiopia and denies backing the opposition alliance.
“The three countries deny the accusation.” — The Jerusalem Post
Egypt place
Egypt expelled an Ethiopian embassy counsellor in response and denies supporting the alliance.
“Cairo responded in kind by declaring an Ethiopian embassy counselor in Egypt persona non grata” — The Jerusalem Post
Left0 articles
No coverage yet.
Centre1 article
-
African Union urges restraint amid growing tensions between Ethiopia, Eritrea and Egypt
Neutral Reports the AU statement with background on seaport, dam and alliance disputes.
Right2 articles
-
Arab NewsRC · · via Reuters
Neutral Short Reuters copy on the AU appeal and the expulsions.
-
African Union urges Ethiopia, Eritrea, Egypt to exercise restraint as regional escalation continues
Neutral Reuters copy centred on the AU appeal, adding the TPLF accusation, denials and fighting scale.
- 2 Oct 02:32 First Anadolu AgencyN African Union urges restraint amid growing tensions between Ethiopia, Eritrea and Egypt
- 2 Oct 06:40 +4h 8m The Jerusalem PostRC African Union urges Ethiopia, Eritrea, Egypt to exercise restraint as regional escalation continues
- 2 Oct 06:50 +4h 18m Arab NewsRC African Union urges Ethiopia, Eritrea and Egypt to refrain from actions that could undermine stability via Reuters
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.