Egypt expels Ethiopian envoy in tit-for-tat move

Egypt's Foreign Ministry on Thursday declared Ethiopian counselor Egazi Emelo Borougi persona non grata and ordered him to leave the country within 48 hours, retaliating against Addis Ababa's earlier expulsion of an Egyptian diplomat. A senior Egyptian official told the state news agency MENA that Cairo regretted Ethiopia's decision to declare the diplomat serving at the Egyptian Embassy in Addis Ababa persona non grata.

The official stated that Egypt firmly rejects interference in other countries' internal affairs and maintains a strict policy of refraining from commenting on domestic developments in Ethiopia or elsewhere. Under the principle of reciprocity, Cairo declared the Ethiopian counselor persona non grata, according to MENA.

'Foreign interference' claims

"The Ethiopian side has a history of attributing its failures in managing its internal affairs and its successive crises to alleged foreign interference, thereby concealing its ongoing problems," the official said. The comments came as Addis Ababa pursues broader diplomatic shifts, having earlier ordered the closure of its embassy in the Eritrean capital Asmara and declared 10 Eritrean diplomats serving in Ethiopia persona non grata.

Bilateral tensions

Ethiopia subsequently declared the Egyptian diplomat persona non grata and gave him a deadline to leave the country, prompting Thursday's retaliatory move from Cairo. The exchange marks the latest escalation in tensions between the two Nile Basin nations — long at odds over regional water security and development projects.