The Ethiopian government on Thursday asked the United States to stop spreading false information against the country, reported Reuters.
The appeal by the Ethiopian State Minister of Communication comes after the US State Department issued an alert about potential terrorist attacks.
Kebede said the US government should refrain from disseminating shameful fake news and defamation regarding Ethiopia. He claimed that the US embassy and other organizations had previously circulated information that ‘Addis Abeba was under siege’ and this was later replaced by false information about a threat of terrorism.
The Ethiopian minister referred to a US embassy statement on Tuesday that appealed to its citizens to maintain a high level of vigilance considering the ongoing possibility of terrorist attacks in Ethiopia.
Kebede said such statements from the US embassy were pressuring other embassies and institutions to leave the country. He warned that such moves would hurt the historical ties between the two countries.
The State Minister urged Ethiopians living abroad and those of Ethiopian descent not to cooperate in this kind of conspiracy. He also accused US aid agencies of saying they will abandon their air works and leave.
In related news, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has reportedly joined the front line where government forces are battling rebels from the Tigray region.
The war between the Ethiopian troops and the forces loyal to the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) in the north of Africa’s second-most populous country erupted in November 2020 when Abiy sent troops into Tigray to topple the TPLF.
The fight has killed thousands of people so far and forced hundreds of thousands into famine-like conditions.
The Tigrayan rebel groups have captured most of Tigray, including its capital Mekele and have also pushed into neighboring Amhara and Afar regions.
The United States, the United Nations, and other countries have all called for a ceasefire and a settlement between the warring sides.
