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Ethiopian Airlines has suspended all flights to Eritrea, escalating diplomatic tensions between the two neighboring countries. The suspension was announced on Tuesday, September 3, after the Eritrean government froze the airline’s bank account in Asmara, a move that has raised concerns about the future of their bilateral relations.
Mesfin Tasew, CEO of Ethiopian Airlines, revealed the decision during a press conference, attributing the suspension to the Eritrean Civil Aviation Authority’s decision to block money transfers from the airline’s account. “We couldn’t continue operating under such conditions, and we have decided to suspend the flights as of today,” Tasew stated.
The suspension comes hot on the heels of Eritrea’s announcement that it would halt all Ethiopian Airlines flights by the end of September. The unexpected move marks a sharp deterioration in relations between the two countries, which had only recently begun to thaw. In 2018, after nearly two decades of hostilities, Ethiopia and Eritrea signed a historic peace deal that led to the resumption of flights and restoration of diplomatic ties—a reconciliation that earned Ethiopia’s Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed, the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019.
Ethiopian Airlines, Africa’s largest carrier by revenue and profit, assured affected passengers that they would be accommodated through alternative arrangements, such as rebooking on other airlines at no extra cost or issuing refunds.
The diplomatic standoff has sparked speculation about a possible resurgence of tensions between Addis Ababa and Asmara. Diplomats familiar with the situation, speaking anonymously to Reuters, suggested that while the suspension is a clear sign of worsening relations, the likelihood of renewed conflict remains low.
The relationship between the two countries has long been fraught. They severed ties in 1998 after a brutal two-year war over a disputed border. Although Eritrea later allied with Ethiopia during the 2020 conflict against regional forces from Ethiopia’s Tigray region, relations have soured again, partly due to Eritrea’s exclusion from the peace talks that ended that conflict and its ongoing military presence in Tigray.
Eritrea’s Information Minister, Yemane Gebremeskel, has yet to comment on the situation. However, in a statement, the Eritrean Civil Aviation Authority accused Ethiopian Airlines of “consistent and persistent malicious trading practices,” including “systematic and organized passengers’ luggage theft, pilferage, damage, prolonged delays and loss with no compensation,” and “unjustified and unwarranted price hikes.”
The statement added that Eritrea had repeatedly called on Ethiopian Airlines to address these concerns but had received no satisfactory response. Consequently, the authority announced the suspension of all Ethiopian Airlines flights to Eritrea, effective September 30, 2024, advising passengers to seek alternative travel arrangements.
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