Egypt expelled an Ethiopian diplomat in response to Addis Ababa expelling one of its diplomats without announcing the reason. An Egyptian official accused Ethiopia of blaming external parties for its “successive internal crises,” stressing that Egypt’s decision had been taken “in application of the principle of reciprocity,” after Ethiopia this week accused Egypt, Sudan, and Eritrea of supporting the Tigray People’s Liberation Front.
Published on: 02/10/2026 - 18:01 Last updated: 02/10/2026 - 18:03
Egypt responded to Addis Ababa's expulsion of one of its diplomats, and declared an Ethiopian diplomat in Cairo persona non grata and gave him 48 hours to leave the country, according to Egyptian media linked to the government. While Ethiopia did not announce the reason for expelling the Egyptian diplomat.
This dispute comes in the context of a years-long dispute over the “Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam,” a huge hydroelectric project built on the Blue Nile, which Egypt believes threatens its share of the Nile’s waters.
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An Egyptian official described Ethiopia's decision to expel the diplomat as "unfortunate and unjustified," stressing that Cairo has long adhered to a policy of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries, in statements reported by the state-linked Cairo News TV channel late Thursday.
Read also: Ethiopia: Why these accusations against Egypt and Sudan?
The official accused Ethiopia of blaming external parties for its "successive internal crises," stressing that Egypt's decision had been taken "in application of the principle of reciprocity."
Exchanging accusations amid the continuing dispute over the Renaissance Dam
Regional security concerns have increased tension in relations between the two countries in recent months, in addition to the ongoing dispute over the dam.
This week, Ethiopia accused Egypt, Sudan, and Eritrea of supporting the Tigray People's Liberation Front, which last week launched a massive attack on government forces, raising fears of a renewal of the devastating civil war that Ethiopia witnessed between 2020 and 2022, which resulted in the deaths of about 600,000 people. Egypt did not respond publicly to this accusation, while Sudan denied it.
Ethiopia and Eritrea severed diplomatic relations on Thursday, amid exchanging accusations of fueling internal conflicts, coinciding with the continuation of fighting in the Tigray region, northern Ethiopia.
France 24/AFP
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