Three Blasts in Addis Ababa Hours After Ethiopia Drone Ban — SkimNews
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- Three blasts were heard across Addis Ababa on Wednesday night at separate locations, including one at 7 pm near the defence headquarters followed by a siren, confirmed by an intelligence official speaking anonymously
- Ethiopia's National Intelligence and Security Service banned the flying of drones in Addis Ababa and nearby areas just hours before the explosions
- The Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) has taken control of several towns in the northern Tigray region and recently seized the region's main airport, forcing a suspension of flights
- The United Nations called for de-escalation and dialogue between the government and seven opposition groups that recently formed an alliance to challenge Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed
- Hitsats displacement camp in northwestern Tigray, home to roughly 16,000 people who have lived there for six years, with residents reporting daily heavy artillery fire and drones overhead and fearing fresh displacement
- Mekelle residents face disrupted communication, banking, and essential services, with merchant Abdelaziz Ahmed, 35, saying cash shortages have halted sales and an unnamed taxi driver reporting fuel prices doubled on the black market
Why it matters: Blasts near the defence compound raise the stakes for Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, whose government is now fighting on multiple fronts — TPLF forces holding towns and an airport in Tigray, a seven-party opposition alliance forming, and the UN pressing for de-escalation. The Hitsats camp's 16,000 displaced residents facing possible re-displacement shows the humanitarian toll of a conflict that started in 2020 shows no resolution in sight.
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