Necva Taştan Sevinç
02 October 2026•Update: 02 October 2026
The African Union Commission called Thursday on Ethiopia, Eritrea and Egypt to exercise maximum restraint amid heightened tensions between the three countries driven by disputes over regional seaport access, water resources and shifting military alliances in the Horn of Africa.
In a statement, the commission said it was “closely following with concern” the escalating tensions.
It urged the three African Union member states to “exercise maximum restraint and refrain from actions or statements that could further escalate tensions and undermine regional peace and stability.”
The commission also stressed the importance of keeping communication channels open and urged the countries to resolve their differences through established diplomatic channels and peaceful dialogue in accordance with the principles of the African Union’s 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.
In a diplomatic note sent to Egypt's embassy in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced Thursday that embassy employee Ahmed Moharam Ahmed Soliman had been declared persona non grata and ordered to leave the country within 48 hours.
On the same day, Ethiopia decided to close its embassy in Eritrea’s capital Asmara and declared 10 Eritrean diplomats persona non grata.
Eritrea responded by deciding to sever diplomatic relations with Ethiopia.
The moves were made at a time when clashes had resumed between federal forces and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) in northern Ethiopia.
The friction between the nations is heavily driven by complex geopolitical disputes, including disagreements over Red Sea seaport access following landlocked Ethiopia's efforts to secure maritime routes, long-standing water resource disputes regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam between Egypt and Ethiopia, and shifting military and security alliances across the Horn of Africa.
