Story perspectives

Ethiopia and Eritrea Sever Ties, Expel Diplomats

By Drooid · Oct 2, 2026, 6:10 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Ethiopia and Eritrea severed diplomatic ties, expelled diplomats and closed embassies Thursday.
Federal and regional forces recaptured Erebti and Abaala near the Tigray border.
An explosion hit the Ethiopian National Defence Force headquarters in Addis Ababa, with no casualty details released.
Doctors Without Borders recorded over 420 wounded in Korem and Alamata hospitals and over 300 in Shire on September 25.

History

Historical Context

After Ethiopia’s TPLF government sent over 1,000 troops into Bada in July 1997 and the May 1998 Badme clashes sparked a war that ended with the Algiers Agreement in December 2000, the Ethiopia-Eritrea border stayed disputed. Episodes like the 2016 Battle of Tsorona and the July 9 2018 summit failed to settle it, so fighting near the Tigray border now revives the same conflict.

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Story summary

Ethiopia and Eritrea severed diplomatic ties, expelled diplomats and closed embassies Thursday.
Federal and regional forces recaptured Erebti and Abaala near the Tigray border.
An explosion hit the Ethiopian National Defence Force headquarters in Addis Ababa, with no casualty details released.
Doctors Without Borders recorded over 420 wounded in Korem and Alamata hospitals and over 300 in Shire on September 25.

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