US warns pilots of weapon fire as war nears Ethiopia capital

NAIROBI:

The United States is warning pilots that planes operating at one of Africa’s busiest airports could be “directly or indirectly exposed to ground weapons fire and/or surface-to-air fire” as Ethiopia’s war nears the capital, Addis Ababa.

The Federal Aviation Administration advisory issued on Wednesday cites the “ongoing clashes” between Ethiopian forces and fighters from the northern Tigray region, which have killed thousands of people in a year of war. The US this week urged its citizens in Ethiopia to “leave now”, saying there should be no expectation of an Afghanistan-style evacuation.

Diplomatic efforts to stop the fighting have met resistance, but Kenya’s president told visiting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday that Ethiopia’s prime minister in a meeting on Sunday gave the impression that he was ready to consider several proposals to ease tensions and reduce violence, a senior State Department official said.

Those include opening humanitarian access to Tigray and restoring government services to the region. Such steps, combined with a ceasefire agreement, could set the stage for more comprehensive peace talks, the US official said.

Diplomatic efforts by an African Union envoy, former Nigerian president Olesegun Obasanjo, and US envoy Jeffrey Feltman continue. Ethiopia’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Dina Mufti, told reporters that both are in Ethiopia but didn’t give details.