Egypt expels Ethiopian diplomat in growing rife over Blue Nile dam

In a tit for tat move, Egypt on Thursday declared an Ethiopian diplomat persona non grata and gave him 48 hours to leave the country, after Addis Ababa expelled an Egyptian official.

Local media is reporting an Egyptian source as saying Ethiopia's decision to expel its diplomat was "regrettable and unjustified".

They accused Ethiopia of blaming foreign actors for its "successive internal crises" and said Cairo’s decision had been taken "in line with the principle of reciprocity".

The source also said Egypt refrains from commenting on developments in other states, including Ethiopia, citing international law and the UN Charter.

Addis Ababa has not publicly provided a reason for expelling the Egyptian diplomat.

The dispute is the latest in a years-long rift between the two countries over Ethiopia's Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.

Egypt sees the massive hydroelectric project on the Blue Nileas a threat to its share of the river’s water.

In addition to the dam, regional security concerns have further strained ties in recent months.

Ethiopia this week accused Egypt, Sudan, and Eritrea of backing the rebel Tigray People's Liberation Front, which recently launched a major assault against government forces.

Egypt has not publicly responded to the allegation, while Sudan has denied it.

On Thursday, Ethiopia and Eritrea severed diplomatic ties, accusing each other of fuelling internal conflicts as fighting continued in the Tigray region

Egypt has strengthened ties with Asmara in recent months.