US Urges Americans To Leave Ethiopia Before Crisis Worsens - Senior Official

US Urges Americans to Leave Ethiopia Before Crisis Worsens - Senior Official

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 23rd November, 2021) US citizens in Ethiopia should leave the country immediately before the crisis there worsens, a senior State Department official said during a conference call.

"We're urging US citizens to leave Ethiopia now while commercial flight options are available," the official said on Monday. "Our core message is do not wait until the situation gets worse to decide to leave. Leave before things change."

The US Embassy in Ethiopia will be unable to assist Americans seeking to leave the country if commercial flight options are unavailable and the Biden administration does not plan to send military aircraft to conduct evacuation operations, the official said.

The United States continues to call on the warring parties in Ethiopia to negotiate an agreement to cease all hostilities, the official said.

US diplomatic engagement with the Ethiopian government and other partners in the region continues, the official added.

Earlier in November, the Ethiopian parliament declared a six-month state of emergency throughout the country to protect the population from the rebels of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Tigray (PNLF) who are advancing upon the country's capital Addis Ababa. This development prompted several countries to start evacuating their diplomatic missions from Ethiopia.