All Canadians in Ethiopia are being advised to evacuate the country immediately by the Canadian government.
The warning came just days after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, one of several calls Ethiopia’s prime minister has received recently from international leaders concerned about the country’s future.
Trudeau further stated that “I underscored the need for an immediate cessation of hostilities, increased humanitarian access on an urgent basis, and meaningful dialogue towards a peaceful resolution.” Foreign warnings, on the other hand, seem more worthless to a government that believes it is fighting for survival.
Earlier in the month, Abiy Ahmed called on Ethiopian people of working age to go to the front — approximately 270 kilometres from Addis Ababa — and fight to preserve the country. An African Union delegation has arrived in the country to try to mediate a peace settlement that would need sacrifices that neither side wants to make.
Trudeau spoke with former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, the African Union’s regional representative, on the phone today. He reiterated “Canada’s strong and ongoing commitment to supporting efforts to bring a peaceful resolution to the conflict.,” according to a transcript of the call.
For the time being, though, both sides are committed to a military solution, and the guns are speaking for them. Ethiopia has benefited in recent years as a result of its foreign aid.
Trudeau’s last trip abroad before the outbreak included a visit to Abiy Ahmed, who was riding high on economic growth and a Nobel Peace Prize at the time.
Source: CBC News
