AU urges Ethiopia, Eritrea and Egypt to exercise restraint amid rising diplomatic tensions

The African Union Commission has urged Ethiopia, Eritrea and Egypt to exercise maximum restraint as tensions between the three countries continue to rise.

The appeal comes amid a sharp deterioration in Ethiopia-Eritrea relations and a fresh diplomatic dispute between Ethiopia and Egypt.

Ethiopia recently announced the closure of its embassy in Eritrea and expelled 10 Eritrean diplomats, prompting Eritrea to announce that it was severing diplomatic ties with Ethiopia.

Ethiopia also expelled an Egyptian diplomat, with Egypt responding by expelling an Ethiopian embassy official.

The diplomatic escalation is taking place alongside renewed fighting in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, where federal forces and an alliance led by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) have been engaged in clashes.

The tensions also have broader regional dimensions, including Ethiopia’s efforts to secure access to the Red Sea and its longstanding dispute with Egypt over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

In a statement dated October 1, the African Union Commission called on "all three Member States to exercise maximum restraint and refrain from actions or statements that could further escalate tensions and undermine regional peace and stability."

The AU Commission urged the three countries to resolve their differences through established diplomatic channels and peaceful dialogue.

It said such an approach is consistent with the principles of the Constitutive Act of the African Union.

“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 added.