Overview
- Ethiopia on Thursday declared 10 Eritrean diplomats persona non grata and ordered its embassy in Asmara closed, and Eritrea responded by severing diplomatic ties in a reciprocal move.
- Explosions were reported in Addis Ababa late Wednesday and early Thursday with diplomatic and security sources saying small drones likely caused blasts near the Ethiopian National Defence Force headquarters, though independent verification is limited.
- Federal forces and allied militias have pushed into Tigray, Afar and Amhara and said they were closing in on Mekelle, the Tigray regional capital, while rebel commanders say they retain capacity to strike beyond the north.
- Humanitarian groups report hundreds of wounded and large-scale displacement, with Doctors Without Borders documenting hundreds of war-wounded in Tigray hospitals and aid access hampered by communications blackouts and security constraints.
- The government has accused Eritrea, Sudan and Egypt of backing the TPLF-led alliance while those states deny the claims, and regional actors and the African Union have urged restraint as the crisis risks drawing in neighbours and disrupting Red Sea and Nile politics.