Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty stressed on Saturday that Egypt has not interfered in Ethiopia’s internal affairs, and stressed that respect for state sovereignty and non-interference in internal matters are fundamental principles of Egypt’s foreign policy.
Speaking to “Al-Qahera News” channel, Abdelatty explained that “Egypt has no involvement in what is happening inside Ethiopia,” and stressed that blaming external parties for internal crises is unacceptable and does not contribute to achieving desired stability.
The Foreign Minister added that Ethiopian statements linking domestic developments to external parties represent an attempt to divert attention from the situation within Ethiopia and to evade the internal crises the country is facing.
Escalating diplomatic tensions
Abdelatty’s remarks follow escalating diplomatic tensions between Cairo and Addis Ababa, after Ethiopia on Thursday declared a member of the Egyptian embassy in Addis Ababa persona non grata and gave him 48 hours to leave the country – without disclosing why.
Egypt responded with a similar measure, declaring a counselor at the Ethiopian embassy in Cairo persona non grata and giving him 48 hours to leave the country.
A well-informed Egyptian source on Saturday confirmed that Cairo refuses to be dragged into Ethiopia’s internal crisis, noting that Egyptian foreign policy is grounded in respect for state sovereignty, non-interference in internal affairs, and a commitment to good-neighborly relations.
The source also criticized what it described as attempts to divert attention from the “true internal motives” behind the events in Ethiopia, asserting that this will not help calm the situation in an African nation that requires the support of African Union institutions to break free from cycles of conflict.
The African Union meanwhile issued a statement calling on Egypt, Ethiopia, and Eritrea to exercise restraint, de-escalate tensions, and resolve disputes through diplomatic channels and peaceful dialogue—a move that surprised an Egyptian source, who viewed the statement as dragging Cairo into an issue described as an internal Ethiopian affair.
