US Orders Non-emergency Government Employees To Leave Ethiopia

Illustration Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. (Wikimedia Commons/Vuvas57)

JAKARTA - The United States has ordered non-emergency government employees in Ethiopia to leave due to armed conflict, civil unrest and ethnic violence, its embassy in Addis Ababa said on Saturday.

"Incidents of civil unrest and ethnic violence occurred without warning. The situation could escalate further and could lead to supply chain shortages, communication blackouts, and travel disruptions," the embassy said on its website citing Reuters November 6.

Prime Minister Ahmed Abiy's government declared a national emergency on Tuesday, saying it was locked in an "existential war" with troops from the northern Tigray region and their allies.

Earlier, Tigrayan Troops were in Kemise Town in Amhara state, 325 km (200 miles) from the capital, Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) spokesman Getachew Reda told Reuters late Wednesday, pledging to minimize casualties on their journey to take Addis Ababa.

"We don't mean to shoot civilians and we don't want bloodshed. If possible, we want the process to be peaceful," he said.

Troops allied with the Tigrayan People's Liberation Front have advanced, launching alliances with other factions on Friday aimed at removing Abiy from power, by force if necessary.

The conflict in northern Ethiopia began a year ago, when forces loyal to the TPLF seized a military base in the Tigray region. In response, Abiy sent troops, which initially drove the TPLF from the regional capital but have faced a sharp turnaround since June this year.