Amid Diplomatic Tension.. Egypt's Foreign Minister Talks About Ethiopia and 'Escaping' Internal Crises

- Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Atti said on Saturday that Egypt "has nothing to do" with what is happening inside Ethiopia, following accusations from Addis Ababa that Egypt is supporting rebels against Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government. The official Middle East News Agency in Egypt reported Abdel Atti's statements during a televised interview, where he stated that the Egyptian state does not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries.

The Egyptian Foreign Minister also added that "the statements from the Ethiopian side are an attempt to distract attention from what is happening internally there, and their main goal is to escape from the internal crises facing Ethiopia." Ethiopia announced on Thursday that a "Egyptian diplomat is persona non grata," and informed the ministry that "the Egyptian embassy in Addis Ababa must ensure his departure from Ethiopian territory within 48 hours from the date of notification."

Egypt responded in kind by giving an Ethiopian diplomat 48 hours to leave the country and considering him a persona non grata. The Chief of Staff of the Ethiopian Army, General Berhanu Jula, claimed that Egypt and Sudan support a "new alliance" of armed groups seeking to overthrow Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government, and alleged that these groups cannot confront the government without external support.

He also accused Eritrea of acting as a link between external forces and these groups. In response to these accusations, the Sudanese Armed Forces recently announced their firm rejection of the statements made by the Chief of Staff of the Ethiopian Army.

The Sudanese army stated in its statement: "The Sudanese Armed Forces have followed the statements of the Chief of Staff of the Ethiopian National Defense Forces, and what it included of accusations against Sudan of supporting the Ethiopian opposition."