Egypt has declared an Ethiopian diplomat persona non grata and given him 48 hours to leave the country after Addis Ababa expelled an Egyptian diplomat, Egyptian state-linked media said.
The dispute is the latest in a years-long rift between the two countries over Ethiopia’s Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), a massive hydroelectric project on the Blue Nile that Egypt sees as a threat to its share of Nile water.
An Egyptian official, quoted by state-linked broadcaster Al-Qahera News late Thursday, described Ethiopia’s decision to expel the diplomat as “regrettable and unjustified”, saying Cairo had long adhered to a policy of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries.
The official accused Ethiopia of blaming foreign actors for its “successive internal crises” and said Egypt’s decision had been taken “in line with the principle of reciprocity”.
Ethiopia has not publicly provided a reason for expelling the Egyptian diplomat.
In addition to the dam, regional security concerns have further strained ties in recent months.
This week, Ethiopia accused Egypt, Sudan and Eritrea of backing a rebel group, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), which launched a major assault against government forces last week, raising fears of a return to Ethiopia’s devastating 2020-2022 civil war that killed an estimated 600,000 people.
Egypt has not publicly responded to the allegation, while Sudan has denied it.