Following the statement made by Deputy Prime Minister Demeke Mekonnen that he was concerned about the increase of violence in the northern area, Ethiopian Airlines said on Thursday that it has cancelled flights to two cities in Amhara.
Britain and Spain have issued security advisories to their citizens due to clashes between government forces and local fighters. The UK Foreign Office reported that the Amhara militia Fano had taken control of the airport in Lalibela, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
“Flights to Gondar and Lalibela airports have been suspended,” Ethiopian Airlines Spokesman Ashenafi Zeray told newsmen, adding that he did not know the reason for the cancellations.
He claimed that on Tuesday afternoon, flights to Lalibela, a popular tourist destination known for its rock-cut churches from the 12th and 13th centuries, were canceled. He was unable to say at what point the airline in the Gondar case also took comparable action.
Amhara nationalists argued that the federal government’s April decision to abolish regional troops established by several states would undermine Ethiopia’s second-most populous region, which led to violent riots there.
Mekonnen stated late on Wednesday that “the security problems that are seen in different areas of the Amhara region are becoming worrisome”.
“We are at a historical time where we should be mindful of the fact that if you don’t have peace, you will lose everything’,” he posted on Facebook.
Ethiopian Army Spokesman Getnet Adane told a press conference this week that fighters claiming to belong to Fano were responsible for the violence.
“We will take actions against those who in any way attack our army or facilitate attacks”, he said, denouncing fighters “who are acting in the name of Fano”.
Britain’s Foreign Office warned its citizens against travelling to certain parts of Amhara, citing “increased violence in these areas characterised by Fano taking control of these areas”.
“Most recently Lalibela Airport has been taken over by Fano militias,” it said.
“Clashes were continuing on the outskirts of Lalibela,” he said. “Fano have also blocked the roads leading to the city”, he added.
The Spanish Embassy in Addis Ababa on Tuesday urged its nationals not to travel to Amhara, citing “instability” in the region.
“Spaniards who are in Lalibela are advised not to leave their hotels or homes and contact the Embassy in Addis Ababa,” it said on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
Until a peace agreement was made in November 2022, which infuriated Amhara nationalists, regional forces and local militias in the Amhara area supported federal soldiers in their two-year conflict with Tigrayan rebels.
Western Tigray, which is a region both the Amhara and the Tigrayans claim, is still under the authority of Amhara “special forces” and Fano rebels despite the peace deal.
