Ethiopia has ordered four of six Irish diplomats serving its mission in Addis Ababa to leave the country in the course of a week.
The Ethiopian authorities said the decision to scale-down the size of the Irish embassy was “due to the positions Ireland has articulated internationally, including at the UN Security Council, on the ongoing conflict in northern Ethiopia”.
The diplomats were found meddling in the internal affairs of Ethiopia, Dina Mufti, the spokesperson of the Ethiopian Foreign Affairs ministry told local media.
The government’s decision came as the US and Britain urged their citizens to immediately leave Ethiopia due to the intensification of the conflict in the eastern African country.
Meanwhile, the press service of the Russian Embassy in Addis Ababa, Thursday said the situation in the Ethiopian capital remains calm despite reports of an imminent invasion by a rebel coalition of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF).
The introduction of a state of emergency has not brought any significant changes to the everyday rhythm of life in the city, the embassy said.
However there is a heavy security presence around important facilities including government buildings and the main airport.
Security forces mount regular street patrols, according to the embassy which said it is operating on its normal schedule with the evacuation of its employees and their families not planned for the foreseeable future.
The Ethiopian Civil Aviation Administration recently said, flights over the country are safe as the Bole International Airport continues to witness normal operational activities.
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MG/as/APA