Ethiopia Declares Egyptian Diplomat 'Persona Non Grata' and Asks Him to Leave the Country Within 48 Hours

- The Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Thursday that a "Egyptian diplomat is a persona non grata," and the ministry informed "the Egyptian embassy in Addis Ababa of the necessity for him to leave Ethiopian territory within 48 hours from the date of notification." The Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in a diplomatic note addressed to the Egyptian embassy in Addis Ababa that "the decision comes in accordance with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations," according to what was reported by the Ethiopian official news agency "ENA."

The note from the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs clarified that "the Egyptian diplomat Ahmed Moharram Ahmed Suleiman has been declared a persona non grata." The Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated at the end of the note to the Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt in Addis Ababa its "highest appreciation and respect," according to the agency "ENA."

At the same time, the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that it has decided to close its embassy in the Eritrean capital Asmara, in response to what it described as "acts of hostility and direct and indirect escalation being carried out by Eritrea against Ethiopia," according to the agency "ENA." The ministry declared 10 Eritrean diplomats in Addis Ababa as persona non grata, claiming their involvement in activities "that pose a direct threat to Ethiopian national security, in violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations."

The Ethiopian Foreign Ministry stated in another statement issued on Thursday that these concerned diplomats must "leave Ethiopia within 48 hours." The Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on the Eritrean government to "cease all actions that contradict the principles governing relations between sovereign states," according to the agency "ENA."

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 powers and these groups.

In response to those accusations, the Sudanese Armed Forces recently announced their firm rejection of the statements made by the Chief of Staff of the Ethiopian Army, who indicated that Sudan was supporting Ethiopian opposition groups currently engaged in battles against the government of Abiy Ahmed. The Sudanese army stated in its announcement: "The Sudanese Armed Forces have followed the statements of the Chief of Staff of the Ethiopian National Defense Forces, and the accusations against Sudan of supporting the Ethiopian opposition."

The statement continued: "The Armed Forces firmly reject these claims and consider them baseless accusations, at a time when there is information and evidence regarding the continued support and backing of the (terrorist Al-Daqlo militia) from Ethiopian territory, including training, supply, and the use of Ethiopian land for military activities (strategic and suicide drones)," according to the statement. On the other hand, the Ethiopian Minister of Water and Energy, Habtamu Itefa, announced the formation of a national committee to assess the economic losses and lost development opportunities related to water projects, which he claimed were "obstructed by the Egyptian side," according to the Ethiopian News Agency (ENA).

In an interview with the Ethiopian News Agency, Habtamu stated that "the committee has so far identified more than 22 developmental projects - including the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam - that faced obstruction from Egypt." Minister Habtamu explained that "the newly formed committee is working to gather evidence related to these projects and study the foundations on which Ethiopia's compensation claims are based," as he said.

The minister claimed that "the operation of the Renaissance Dam contributes to regulating the flows of the Nile River, and may help reduce flooding in the downstream countries, while maintaining water availability during periods of low rainfall." Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi said last Tuesday that Cairo is giving the issue of the Ethiopian dams "diplomatic space," but he also warned that this "will not be at the expense of Egypt's existence and its people."

Sisi's statements came during an event with students at the Egyptian Military Academy, where he said, according to a statement from the Egyptian presidency, that "the state is giving the issue of the Ethiopian dams space for diplomacy and peaceful solutions, but this will not be at the expense of Egypt's existence and its people." Sisi added that "the Ethiopian dam was built only as a result of the events that the state witnessed during the period from 2011 to 2013 and the absence of the state."