Egypt denies any role in Ethiopian conflict

Egypt denied any role on Saturday in the escalating conflict in northern Ethiopia.

"The current crisis in Ethiopia is an internal one with which Egypt has no role, and that one should not be swayed by attempts to divert attention from the true internal motives behind the events unfolding in Ethiopia," Egypt's state news agency MENA said, citing an official source.

The source expressed surprise at Thursday's statement by the African Union Commission that called on Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Egypt to exercise maximum restraint and refrain from actions or statements that could worsen tensions and undermine regional peace and stability.

Cairo "views the statement as an inexplicable attempt to drag it into an internal Ethiopian matter," the source said.

He said Egypt's foreign policy follows international law and the principles of the UN and African Union charters, including respect for sovereignty, non-interference and good-neighborly relations.

Thursday's statement was issued after Ethiopia and Eritrea severed diplomatic relations and Egypt and Ethiopia exchanged expulsions of diplomats.

Fighting resumed in September between Ethiopian federal forces and an opposition alliance led by the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), with hostilities spreading into parts of southern Tigray and the neighboring Afar region.