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France, Germany The last countries asked to leave Ethiopia News

More countries have told their nationalities to leave Ethiopia, where Tigray is apparently escalating a year-long war between federal troops and forces in the north.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced on Monday night that he would do so head to the first line on Tuesday, to drive his soldiers, he stated: “Now we are in the final stages of saving Ethiopia.”

On Tuesday, France advised citizens to leave Ethiopia “without delay”. Germany has also urged citizens on the first commercial flights available to leave the country, following similar advice given by the US and the UK in recent weeks, noting that the security situation is deteriorating.

Meanwhile, the United Nations said the families of Ethiopian international workers were “temporarily relocating,” adding that its staff would remain in the country.

“We will continue to monitor the situation as it evolves, taking into account the safety of our staff and the need to continue to stand and deliver and continue to help all people who need our help,” spokesman Stephane Dujarric said on Tuesday. .

The moves came as Tigris forces claimed in recent weeks that they were approaching the capital Addis Ababa.

Much of northern Ethiopia is in the shadow of communications and access to journalists is limited, making it difficult to verify battlefield claims.

But Addis Ababa officials on Tuesday stressed that security forces, including youth groups, were working to ensure peace and stability in the capital and told the diplomatic community not to worry. The government has also previously accused its rivals of exaggerating their territorial gains.

“The growing propaganda and terror debate in the Western media is in complete contradiction with the peaceful state of the city, so the diplomatic community should not feel any concern or fear,” said Kenya Yadeta, head of the Addis Ababa Peace and Security Council. Table.

Northern Ethiopia has experienced conflict since November 2020 when Abiy sent troops to the Tigray region to overthrow the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), a three-decade-old national policy that dominated the party after months of tensions.

The winner of the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize promised a quick victory, but by the end of June TPLF had collected and recovered most of the Tigray, including the regional capital of Mekelle.

Since then, Tigris forces have pushed into the neighboring Afar and Amhara regions and this week claimed control of Shewa Robit, a road 220 km (135 miles) northeast of Addis Ababa. The government has not responded to requests for Shewa Robit’s situation.

The special envoy of the African Branch of the African Union, Olusegun Obasanjo, has made a tremendous push to focus on the ceasefire, but so far no specific progress has been made.

On Tuesday, the special envoy for the U.S. Horn of Africa made “progress” toward a diplomatic solution between the warring parties, but warned that there is a risk of eclipsing the “worrying developments” on the ground.

“While there is some initial progress, this poses a high risk of overtaking military escalation on both sides,” Jeffrey Feltman told reporters after returning from a mission in Addis Ababa.

Separately, the leaders of South Africa and Kenya on Tuesday called on their parties to commit to an immediate ceasefire and a political dialogue.

But Abiy, who won the Nobel Prize in 2019 for making peace with neighboring Eritrea, questioned his chances for a peaceful solution.

“From tomorrow, I will mobilize the front to direct the defense forces,” he said Monday.

“Those who want to be among the Ethiopian children who will be praised by history, stand up for your country today. Let’s get together at the front. ‘

The government declared a six-month state of emergency and called on all citizens who could to join the fight and arrived within weeks.

Professor Kjetil Tronvoll of the University of Oslo described Abiy’s latest move as “a gamble”.

“We know he has commanded the management [governing] To unite the Prosperity Party, and we know that the political leader of Amhara has said that they will also unite on the battlefield, “Tronvoll told Al Jazeera.

Meanwhile, the UN launched a rally on Tuesday despite looting warehouses to provide food aid to two villages in northern Ethiopia.

The UN World Food Program said it would serve “major food aid operations” over the next two weeks in the towns of Kombolcha and Dessie Amhara, located at a strategic junction on the Addis Ababa highway.




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