US Embassy in Ethiopia recommends Americans to urgently leave the country where the rebel alliance is preparing an offensive on the capital

The US Embassy in Addis Ababa recommends that all US citizens leave Ethiopia as soon as possible. transfers Reuters with reference to the American diplomatic mission. The recommendation was issued after the unification of nine rebel groups that announced preparations for an offensive on the capital.

“The situation in Ethiopia is very volatile. We advise US citizens in Ethiopia to leave the country as soon as possible, ”the embassy said in a statement.

On November 5, the nine largest rebel groups signed an agreement to create an alliance to fight the Ethiopian government. informs France 24. According to media reports, the rebels have banded together to launch a general offensive against Addis Ababa.

The United Front of Ethiopian Federalist and Confederate Forces, which was created, included the Popular Front for the Liberation of Tigray (PNLF), the Oromo Liberation Army, as well as rebel groups from several Ethiopian regions.

Reuters reported that rebel representatives held a press conference on Friday in the US capital, Washington. They said that the new anti-government forces unification of nine rebel groups aims to remove power from the current government of Ethiopia, led by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. According to them, the government of Ahmed will be removed either by force or through negotiations. After that, a transitional government of Ethiopia will be established, transfers TASS.

On October 27, Tigray rebels launched a major offensive in northern Ethiopia, during which they managed to capture several cities in the state of Amhara. Earlier this week, Tigray rebel forces joined forces with separatist forces from the Oromo Liberation Army in the Kemis area, 325 kilometers north of Addis Ababa. At the same time, in August, the NFOT and the Oromo Liberation Army signed an agreement on joint actions against the Ethiopian government.

The leadership of the “Oromo Liberation Army” announced that its troops intend to ring the capital of Ethiopia. The Oromo Liberation Army is the military wing of the Oromo Liberation Front. This political force is seeking independence for the state of Oromia, the most populous region in Ethiopia.

On November 2, authorities in several regions and cities of Ethiopia, including the capital, called on residents to take up arms and defend themselves against the Tigray rebels. On the same day, the government announced the introduction of a state of emergency throughout the country for the next six months. It provides, in particular, the suspension of the activities of the media if they “provide direct or indirect moral support” to the rebels.

As head of the Ethiopian government in 2018, Abiy Ahmed has pledged to fight corruption, carry out democratic reforms and create conditions for economic growth. He began by pardoning thousands of political prisoners and repealing the extremism law that had been used to fight the opposition. The prisons where dissidents were tortured were closed. In 2019, Abiy Ahmed won the Nobel Peace Prize for permission border conflict with Eritrea. But a year later, the Prime Minister sent troops to Tigray to fight the opposition, which was the beginning of a new military confrontation.

The conflict in Ethiopia has been accompanied by war crimes, including the massacre and rape of civilians. During the confrontation, according to the UN, thousands of people were killed, and hundreds of thousands were doomed to starvation. Not having achieved the complete defeat of the Tigray rebels, Abiy Ahmed organized a blockade of the rebellious region. With him, transport links are completely cut off, electricity and water supply is stopped, the Internet is blocked and telephone lines are cut, transfers Russian service of the BBC.

The world community demands from Abiy Ahmed to open humanitarian corridors for food supplies to Tigray. But the Ethiopian authorities say they are not blocking supplies and accuses the UN of interfering in the country’s internal affairs.