Egypt and Ethiopia are expelling diplomats in a tit-for-tat row that marks a new escalation in their already tense relations.
Ethiopia initiated the row when its Foreign Ministry issued a brief statement late on Thursday, ordering a senior Egyptian diplomat, Ahmed Moharam Ahmed Soliman, to leave Ethiopia within 48 hours. It gave no reason for its action.
Egypt responded by expelling a senior member of Ethiopia's diplomatic mission in Cairo, also giving him two days to leave. It did not name the diplomat, but said he was the embassy's counsellor.
The expulsions came one day after Ethiopia ordered the closure of its embassy in Eritrea, a close ally of Egypt, and declared 10 Eritrean diplomats persona non grata. That prompted Asmara to sever diplomatic ties with its neighbour after overnight blasts heard in Addis Ababa sparked fears that renewed conflict in northern Ethiopia might be spreading.
Addis Ababa has accused Eritrea, Sudan and Egypt of supporting an opposition alliance led by the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) that has battled troops loyal to Ethiopia's federal government since last week. The three countries deny the accusation.
In Cairo, state media cited an unnamed source saying Ethiopia's expulsion of the Egyptian diplomat was “unfortunate” and unjustified. Egypt has consistently rejected interference in the internal affairs of other countries, the source added, alluding to Addis Ababa's claim that Egypt was aiding the Ethiopian rebels.
Egypt and Ethiopia are already locked in a bitter, decade-old dispute over the Nile's water, with Cairo claiming that a huge dam built by Addis Ababa will likely reduce Egypt's vital share of the river's water.
