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Addis Ababa a few days ago: People gather to take part in a government-organized demonstration against the TPLF.
Photo: Uncredited / dpa
Because of the violent conflict in Ethiopia, Great Britain has asked its citizens to leave the country. The British should leave the East African country "while commercial flights are still available," said the State Department on Tuesday. It will probably be much more difficult to get out in the coming days. For the British, with the exception of the capital's airport, a travel warning now applies to the entire country. So far, Germany has only advised German citizens to check whether their presence is "absolutely necessary".
Meanwhile, more than 20 local United Nations workers had been arrested in the capital, Addis Ababa. UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said on Tuesday in New York that 16 Ethiopian UN employees were still detained. Six more have since been released. "We are of course working actively with the Ethiopian government to ensure their immediate release," said Dujarric at the UN headquarters in New York. "As far as I know, we have not been given any explanation as to why these employees were arrested."
The arrests were apparently made in connection with the actions of security forces against members of the Tigray ethnic group.
The US State Department on Tuesday condemned arrests based on ethnicity of detained UN workers.
"Harassment by the security forces and arrests based on ethnicity are completely unacceptable," said Ministry spokesman Ned Price.
TPLF advances on Addis Ababa
With almost 115 million inhabitants, Ethiopia is the country with the second largest population in Africa.
The multi-ethnic state has long been considered the region's anchor of stability.
Now it threatens to disintegrate as a result of the fighting.
The central government is weakened.
The conflict between Addis Ababa and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), which began about a year ago, has now spread to other parts of the country.
Together with rebels from the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), the TPLF is advancing on Addis Ababa.
A week ago the government declared a nationwide state of emergency.
It is feared that the rebels will attack Addis Ababa.
The United Nations, the African Union and the US are currently trying to mediate in the conflict.
sol / dpa / afp