Ethiopia shut its embassy in Asmara and ordered ten Eritrean diplomats out of the country on Thursday, triggering a rapid rupture that ended with Eritrea severing all diplomatic ties within hours.

Addis Ababa declared the diplomats persona non grata and gave them 48 hours to leave. Its foreign ministry said the embassy closure was a response to what it called “direct and indirect acts of hostility and belligerence” by Eritrea.

Ethiopia also declared an Egyptian diplomat persona non grata, ordering him to leave within 48 hours. The moves followed overnight blasts heard across Addis Ababa and renewed fighting in northern Ethiopia between federal troops and an opposition alliance led by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front.

Addis Ababa has accused Eritrea, Sudan and Egypt of backing the alliance, which battled federal forces last week in the biggest escalation since the end of the 2020-2022 civil war. All three countries deny the accusation.

The African Union Commission called on Ethiopia, Eritrea and Egypt to exercise maximum restraint and avoid actions that could escalate regional tensions.