Addis Ababa (KAAB) – A growing debate in the Horn of Africa has raised the provocative question: can Eritrea’s independence recognition by Ethiopia in 1993 be revoked?
The question has been ignited by recent commentary in Ethiopian-circles arguing that Ethiopia might have a legal or political basis to withdraw recognition of Eritrea’s statehood. However, international legal experts and Eritrean officials strongly reject the notion as untenable.
Eritrea formally declared independence in 1993 following a referendum. Ethiopia recognised that independence soon afterwards, and Eritrea became a member of the United Nations and the African Union (then the OAU).
Since then the two countries have had a tumultuous relationship, including a full-scale war (1998-2000) and a peace deal in 2018.
Some Ethiopian voices argue that recognition of Eritrea was a discretionary act by Ethiopia — essentially granting statehood as a favour or strategic concession — and thus remains revocable.
A paper by the research platform Horn Review puts forward this view, claiming that Eritrea has failed to meet the criteria of statehood and that Ethiopia retains a “mother-state” role which gives a special status to its recognition.
Moreover, recent press reports note that Eritrea responded to these arguments, dismissing them as revisionist and reaffirming that its independence was won through decolonisation and the armed struggle.
International legal experts overwhelmingly consider the idea of revocation to be unviable:
Once recognition of a state is given, especially following participation in the UN and the AU, it becomes a matter of legal fact and part of the international order.
One analyst writes: “Recognition of a state is not a light switch … Once recognition is formalised … it cannot be unilaterally revoked by another sovereign.”
The principle of uti possidetis juris (which preserves boundaries at inheritance of independence) further complicates attempts to revert recognition.
Even if Ethiopia were to issue a revocation, Eritrea’s membership in international organisations and de facto control of its territory make any practical reversal extremely difficult.
If Ethiopia were to attempt revocation, it could be seen as a symbolic or political signal rather than an effective reversal of sovereignty, a diplomatic tool to renegotiate maritime access, territorial arrangements or geopolitical leverage in the Red Sea region and a move that risks destabilising the region, provoking strong responses from Eritrea and perhaps other regional actors.
That said, the legal and diplomatic costs are high, and the broader international community would likely reject any attempt to undo recognised statehood without radical changes on the ground.