Eritrea Urges African Union to Restore Its Representation

Dragon Media News Desk

Eritrea has urged the African Union to take “immediate corrective measures” to restore its representation at the AU Commission headquarters after Ethiopia expelled Eritrean diplomats.

In a letter to the AU, officially released Thursday, Eritrea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the denial of the country’s membership rights, representation and participation in the organization as “a matter of serious concern.”

The letter said Ethiopia had deprived Eritrea of its fundamental rights as a member state to representation at the AU and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa after declaring 10 Eritrean diplomats based at its embassy in Addis Ababa persona non grata on October 1.

The list included an Eritrean diplomat formally accredited as permanent representative to the AU and the UN Economic Commission for Africa, as well as three diplomatic staff assigned to cover both organizations, the ministry said.

The ministry said the AU was an intergovernmental organization founded on the principle of sovereign equality among its members. Eritrea’s statutory membership rights, it added, “cannot be curtailed or compromised at the whim of another member state.”

The Eritrean government called on the AU Commission to urgently bring the matter to the attention of the AU Executive Council and Assembly.

“Eritrea urges the policy organs to take immediate corrective measures to restore Eritrea’s rightful representation at the headquarters of the union and ensure its full participation in the activities of the union as a sovereign and equal member,” the letter said.

The letter comes amid escalating diplomatic tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea that have rapidly strained relations between the two Horn of Africa nations.

Earlier this month, Ethiopia announced the closure of its embassy in Eritrea’s capital, Asmara, citing “Eritrea’s direct and indirect acts of hostility and belligerence against Ethiopia.” Eritrea then announced a complete severance of bilateral ties.