The situation was further tense on Tuesday in Ethiopia, where fighting is approaching Addis Ababa and threatening the Ethiopian regime. The Tigrayan rebels claimed to be less than 200 kilometers from the capital. So much so that the French Embassy formally called on all French nationals “to leave the country without delay”, in an email sent to members of the French community.
The embassy, ​​which says it has taken this decision in view of “the evolution of the military situation”, adds to plan to facilitate the departure of nationals on commercial flights by reserving seats and “if necessary” to charter a charter flight. Before France, several countries including the United Kingdom and the United States urged their citizens to leave the country. The latter also evacuated their non-essential personnel. An embassy official said “voluntary” departures of staff could take place, especially among families.
A conflict that has lasted for a year
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed sent the federal army to Tigray in early November 2020 in order to remove the authorities in this region, from the Tigray Liberation Front (TPLF), who challenged his authority and whom he accused of having attacked military bases. Nobel Peace Prize 2019, Abiy Ahmed proclaimed victory three weeks later, after the capture of the regional capital Mekele. But in June, pro-TPLF fighters took over most of the region and continued their offensive in neighboring Amhara and Afar regions.
At the end of October, the TPLF claimed responsibility for the capture of two key cities in Amhara, thus moving closer to the capital – which the Ethiopian government denied. The TPLF, which has allied with an Oromo rebel group active in the area around the capital, this week claimed to be in Shewa Robit, 220 km northeast of Addis Ababa. The government has not commented on this information. According to diplomats familiar with the security situation, some rebel fighters have reached the locality of Debre Sina, closer to about 30 km from the capital.
In recent weeks, diplomatic efforts by the international community have intensified in an attempt to secure a ceasefire agreement. AU envoy for the Horn of Africa ex-Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo and his US counterpart Jeffrey Feltman visited Ethiopia again on Thursday. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently warned of the risk of Ethiopia “imploding” if no political solution to the conflict is found.