Egypt has expelled an Ethiopian diplomat, declaring him persona non grata and giving him 48 hours to leave the country, in a tit-for-tat move following Ethiopia’s expulsion of an Egyptian official.
Egyptian local media quoted an Egyptian source as describing Ethiopia’s decision to expel its diplomat as “regrettable and unjustified.”
The source accused Ethiopia of blaming foreign countries for its “successive internal crises” and said Cairo’s decision was taken in accordance with the principle of reciprocity.
The source also said Egypt avoids commenting on developments in other countries, including Ethiopia, in line with international law and the UN Charter.
Ethiopia has not publicly disclosed the reason for expelling the Egyptian diplomat.
The diplomatic dispute comes amid a longstanding disagreement between Cairo and Addis Ababa over Ethiopia’s Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), built on the Blue Nile.
Egypt considers the massive hydroelectric project a threat to its established share of Nile waters and has repeatedly called for a legally binding agreement governing the dam’s operation and the filling of its reservoir.
Relations between the two countries have also been strained by wider regional security concerns.
Ethiopia this week accused Egypt, Sudan and Eritrea of supporting the rebel Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), which recently launched an assault against government forces in the Tigray region.
Egypt has not publicly responded to the allegation, while Sudan has denied involvement.
On Thursday, Ethiopia and Eritrea also severed diplomatic ties, accusing each other of contributing to internal conflicts as fighting continued in the Tigray region.
The diplomatic tensions come as Egypt has strengthened its relations with Eritrea in recent months, adding another layer to the complex regional disputes surrounding the Horn of Africa and the Nile basin.
