SEOUL– South Korea on Friday expanded a travel warning to all of Ethiopia after the African nation’s government issued a state of emergency amid an escalating armed conflict, the foreign ministry said.
Under the Level 3 travel alert, the second highest in the four-tier system, the ministry recommended that Koreans cancel their travel plans there and those already in the country move to safe places.
South Korea had previously issued a Level 3 alert in Ethiopia’s regions bordering Sudan, South Sudan, Eritrea and Kenya, while the rest of the African country was under a special advisory against overseas travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Ethiopian government declared a state of emergency earlier this week amid an ongoing civil war with the Tigray People’s Liberation Front. The rebel forces have reportedly advanced toward the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.
The ministry said it will closely monitor the security situation and make adjustments to the advisory when needed.
Source: Yonhap News Agency