International alarms went off on Tuesday over the escalating war cries in Ethiopia as Tigrayan rebels claimed to be inching closer to the capital Addis Ababa and more foreign citizens were told to leave. The United Nations stated that it is temporarily relocating families of international staff from Ethiopia due to the security situation.
UN spokesman, Stephane Dujarric said they will continue to monitor the situation as it evolves, keeping in mind the safety of staff and the need to continue to stand and deliver and to continue operations and support all the people that need our assistance.
Citizens of the US, France and Germany have also been called on to leave the conflict-ridden nation immediately. Ethiopia PM Abiy Ahmed said he would lead his country’s troops from the battlefront against the rebels.
So far, tens of thousands of people have been killed in the conflict between the Ethiopian and allied forces and fighters from the country’s northern Tigray region.
The Tigray People’s Liberation Front rebel group has pushed closer to Addis Ababa, seizing possession of the town of Shewa Robit, which is only 220 kilometres north of the capital by road.
The United States and others have warned that Africa’s second-largest country could fragment and destabilise the whole Horn of Africa. Fears of a full-blown-out clash have prompted countries like the US and the UK to pull out non-essential diplomatic staff.
