Ethiopia: A “fruitful and constructive” call took place between Abiy Ahmed and Netanyahu

The Ethiopian government said, on Monday, that Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali held a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and they discussed bilateral relations and major regional developments. The Ethiopian Foreign Ministry stated that the two leaders had a “productive and constructive call,” adding that during it the “commitment to cooperation on issues of common interest” was reaffirmed.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar confirmed this during a call with his Ethiopian counterpart, Gideon Timothy, on October 6, where they exchanged views on "the importance of Ethiopia's unity and stability, and the common interest in maintaining peace and stability in the Horn of Africa region." Sa'ar stressed that his country "looks forward to further strengthening the ties between our two countries," according to a statement by the Israeli Foreign Ministry.

The Horn of Africa region is witnessing tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea, with Addis Ababa accusing the Red Sea country of supporting rebellion movements against Abiy Ahmed's government. Ethiopia also accused Egypt and Sudan of supporting the rebellion, which the two countries denied.

The Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced its intention to close its embassy in the Eritrean capital, Asmara, in response to what it described as “direct and indirect acts of hostility and escalation carried out by Eritrea against Ethiopia,” according to the Ethiopian News Agency (ENA). While the United States urged Ethiopia and Eritrea to exercise restraint in light of the tensions between the two countries, warning that they may affect the entire region.