Ethiopia Travel Alert: Tourists Stranded Near Lalibela After Overnight Blasts

Overnight explosions shook Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa, with blasts reported near the military headquarters in the west and in the south of the city, residents and diplomatic sources said. The detonations came just hours after the authorities banned drone flights over the capital and about a week after fighting broke out in the north between the army and a newly formed alliance of armed groups.

Key facts

• Ethiopia's National Intelligence and Security Service (Niss) has imposed an indefinite ban on drone flights over Addis Ababa and surrounding areas.
• No permits will be issued for drone operations, and legal action is threatened against anyone flying drones in restricted areas.
• Explosions were heard overnight in the capital, including near the military headquarters and in the Gotera neighbourhood.
• No official confirmation has been given of the cause, the locations affected, or any casualties or damage.
• Foreign tourists have been stranded for more than a week around Lalibela in the Amhara region.
• Internet access and the main telecoms service in Tigray have been cut.

What happened in Addis Ababa?

Residents reported loud blasts overnight. One resident in a southern area near the secret service base said the explosion was strong enough to set off car alarms, and estimated it occurred in the Gotera neighbourhood at around 00:30 local time (21:30 GMT). Another resident heard an explosion in the western suburb of Torhayloch, close to the military headquarters.

A source linked to the opposition fighters told the Reuters news agency that they were behind what they described as drone strikes. There have been no official reports confirming the cause of the explosions, the exact locations affected, or whether anyone was hurt or any damage was caused. The office of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, the defence ministry and the federal and Addis Ababa police have not responded to requests for comment.

What are the drone rules in Addis Ababa?

Niss announced on Wednesday that it was banning drone flights over Addis Ababa and surrounding areas indefinitely. The agency said it would not issue permits for drone operations and warned that legal action would be taken against anyone flying drones in restricted areas. Niss said the measure was needed to protect national leaders, critical infrastructure and major public events.

Why is this happening?

Clashes broke out last week after months of tension between the government and the party that controls Tigray, the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF). Both sides accuse each other of violating a 2022 peace deal that ended a two-year civil war estimated by an Africa Union mediator to have cost 600,000 lives. Last month, seven armed movements, including the TPLF and the Amhara militia known as Fano, formed an alliance with the stated aim of removing the government in Addis Ababa.

The two sides disagree over who started the latest fighting. Within Tigray, the national army and a pro-government militia appear to be advancing towards the region's main city, Mekelle. A medic in the southern Tigrayan town of Alamata said 52 civilians had died in three days of heavy fighting. The TPLF is also reported to be fighting in neighbouring Afar region, which connects landlocked Ethiopia to Djibouti and its ports; a humanitarian source estimated that tens of thousands have fled their homes there.

Ethiopia's foreign ministry has said it is closing its embassy in Eritrea and expelling 10 Eritrean diplomats "for involvement in activities that pose a direct threat to Ethiopia's national security". The government accuses Eritrea of backing the armed groups, which Eritrea's government denies. Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel said the ruling Prosperity Party was seeking external scapegoats for the country's internal conflicts.

What this means for travellers

Travellers should not fly drones in Addis Ababa or surrounding areas: Niss has stopped issuing permits and warned of legal action. Foreign tourists have been stranded for more than a week around Lalibela in the Amhara region, where the national army and Fano fighters have been clashing. The BBC is unable to report from Tigray and surrounding areas, and internet access and the main telecoms service in Tigray have been cut, making conditions there difficult to verify.

No end date has been given for the drone ban. The security situation in the capital and in the north remains unresolved, and official information about the overnight explosions has not been released.