The African Union Commission has clarified its October 1 statement on rising tensions between Ethiopia, Eritrea and Egypt, saying the intervention was intended to promote restraint and dialogue rather than assign responsibility for the crisis to any neighbouring country.
In a clarification issued on October 4, the Commission had taken note of observations raised by Egypt over its earlier statement and reaffirmed its commitment to the principles of sovereignty, national unity and territorial integrity of member states.
The continental body also stressed its opposition to interference in the internal affairs of member states and reiterated its preference for political and diplomatic solutions over military approaches.
The Commission said its statements fall within its institutional mandate of supporting peace, security and stability across Africa, and were not intended to comment on the internal affairs of any member state.
It further stated the October 1 statement should not be interpreted as assigning responsibility for the escalating situation to any of the countries involved.
“Under no circumstances was the aforementioned statement intended to attribute responsibility for the developments underway to any neighbouring State,” the Commission maintained.
Instead, the AU said, its intervention was prompted by a rapid deterioration in diplomatic relations, including the expulsion of diplomats from the three capitals.
The clarification comes against the backdrop of renewed fighting in northern Ethiopia and a sharp deterioration in relations between Addis Ababa and Asmara.
On October 1, Ethiopia ordered the closure of its embassy in Eritrea and declared 10 Eritrean diplomats persona non grata, accusing them of activities that posed a threat to Ethiopia's national security.
Eritrea responded by severing diplomatic relations with Ethiopia and closing its embassy in Addis Ababa. Ethiopia also expelled an Egyptian diplomat, while Egypt reciprocated by ordering an Ethiopian embassy counsellor to leave the country.
The diplomatic crisis has unfolded alongside renewed fighting in Ethiopia's Tigray region, where government forces have been battling an opposition alliance led by the Tigray People's Liberation Front.
Ethiopia has accused Eritrea, Egypt and Sudan of supporting the opposition alliance. The three countries have denied the allegations.
The latest fighting represents the most serious escalation since the 2020–2022 Tigray war, which killed hundreds of thousands of people and drew Eritrean forces into the conflict alongside Ethiopian government troops.
By October 4, Ethiopian government forces and allied fighters had retaken Mekelle, Tigray's regional capital, from the TPLF-led opposition alliance, further raising concerns that the conflict could develop into a wider regional confrontation.
The tensions also have a longer-running geopolitical dimension involving Egypt and Ethiopia's dispute over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Nile.
Egypt regards the river as vital to its water security, while Ethiopia views the dam as a major source of electricity and economic development.
The dispute has remained one of the most persistent sources of friction between the two countries.
Against this backdrop, the AU Commission said its call for restraint was aimed at preventing misunderstandings and further escalation.
It urged the countries to maintain open channels of communication and use established diplomatic mechanisms to resolve their differences, saying such an approach was consistent with the African Union's Constitutive Act and the responsibilities of the AU Commission.
The Commission also sought to reassure Egypt over its relationship with the continental body, describing Cairo as an important member and partner in African affairs.
It highlighted Egypt's status as a founding member of the African Union and its role in efforts to promote peace, security, integration and development across the continent.
The clarification was issued as Egypt hosted the eighth AU Mid-Year Coordination Meeting in El-Alamein on October 4, bringing together African leaders and representatives of regional economic communities to discuss continental integration and cooperation.
The AU's latest statement therefore seeks to draw a distinction between its responsibility to prevent regional instability and any suggestion that it is taking sides in the increasingly tense relations between Ethiopia, Eritrea and Egypt.