US State Department Orders Withdrawal of Non-Essential Personnel from Diplomatic Missions in Ethiopia

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The U.S. State Department has ordered the withdrawal of diplomats and embassy staff stationed in Ethiopia, where the civil war is intensifying. Despite mediation efforts by the United States and the international community, clashes between government forces and rebel groups in Ethiopia have escalated, prompting a swift evacuation recommendation not only for diplomatic personnel but also for foreign residents.

According to foreign media including AFP on the 6th (local time), the U.S. State Department issued a statement ordering "all diplomatic mission and U.S. government facility staff and their families in Ethiopia, except essential personnel, to evacuate." The U.S. Embassy in Ethiopia also warned on its website that "violence is occurring without warning and may worsen," adding that "shortages of essential goods, isolation, and communication outages may also occur." The embassy had previously advised all Americans in Ethiopia to leave as quickly as possible.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken demanded in a statement that "the Tigray rebel forces halt their advance on the capital and the Ethiopian government forces stop bombing Tigray," but the civil war continues to intensify.

Earlier, the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), a rebel group in Ethiopia, began a civil war with government forces led by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed about a year ago. Recently, the TPLF announced that it had taken control of a point 325 km north, within a day’s reach of the capital, in alliance with another rebel group, the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), escalating clashes with government forces.

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