US directs its citizens to leave Ethiopia as rebels join forces

The US embassy in Addis Ababa on Friday urged Americans to leave Ethiopia “as soon as possible” over fears of a rebel advance on the capital, as nine groups battling the government joined forces.

Concern over the country’s year-old conflict is escalating after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government declared a state of emergency and vowed to press on to victory in “an existential war.”

In an advisory, the US embassy warned “the security environment in Ethiopia is very fluid.” It urged “citizens who are in Ethiopia to leave the country as soon as possible.”

The warning came after several groups including the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) -- locked in a year-long conflict with the government -- and the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) announced a new alliance.

The TPLF said Wednesday that its fighters had reached the town of Kemissie in the Amhara region, 325 kilometres (200 miles) northeast of the capital, and were running “joint operations” with the OLA, which predicted Addis Ababa could fall in a matter of weeks.

Berhane Gebre-Christos, a TPLF representative who signed the nine-party agreement in Washington, said Friday that time was running out for Abiy.

“Our intention is to remove the regime,” he told reporters.

Security Council

The United Nations Security Council expressed “deep concern about the expansion and intensification of military clashes”, according to a joint statement released after their meeting on Friday in New York. The council also expressed concern over the humanitarian situation and national stability, and “reaffirmed their strong commitment to the sovereignty, political independence, territorial integrity and unity of Ethiopia”.

The government has dismissed rebel claims of territorial gains, saying on Thursday that the TPLF was “encircled” and close to defeat. It is unclear whether the alliance, named the United Front of Ethiopian Federalist and Confederalist Forces, will affect the trajectory of the conflict.

The TPLF and the OLA, which the government officially designated as terrorist groups in May, are well-known, but the other seven members are obscure, said one diplomat following security matters.