"There is a high threat from terrorism in Ethiopia; attacks could be against civilian targets including places frequented by foreigners. Since the mid-1990's, Somali groups affiliated with terrorist organisations have clashed with government forces in the border states, particularly in the Ogaden region. They may also occasionally operate within the Oromiya, and Afar regions. See the Terrorism / Security section of this travel advice for more details.
(Media-Newswire.com) - The Foreign Office today revised its travel advice for Ethiopia. We now advise against all travel within 50 kms of all Ethiopia's borders.
The revelent summary points now read:
* "We advise against all travel to areas off the principal roads/towns within 50 kilometres of the border areas with Eritrea because of the risk of landmines. The Ethiopia/Eritrea border remains closed and the situation is very tense and could deteriorate extremely rapidly. See the Local Travel ( North and East Ethiopia ) section of this travel advice for more details.
* "We advise against all travel to the Danakil desert area bounded by the Dessie-Adigrat road, the Dessie-Djibouti road and the Ethiopian/Eritrean border. On 1 March 2007, fourteen people including a group of western tourists and their tour guides were abducted by an armed group near Lake Asele in the Danakil Depression region. Five of those abducted were released on 13 March 2007 and the remaining nine were released on 23 April. See the Local Travel ( North & East Ethiopia ) section of this travel advice for more details.
* "We advise against all travel to the Gambella Region where the situation remains volatile. See the Terrorism/Security section of this travel advice for more details.
* "We advise against all travel to areas off the principal roads/towns within 50 kilometres of the borders with Sudan and Kenya. Along the border with Kenya, cross-border banditry related to the drought in the region have increased. Armed groups hostile to the Government of Ethiopia operate in several areas near the border with Kenya. See the Local Travel ( South & West Ethiopia ) section of this travel advice for more details.
* "There is a high threat from terrorism in Ethiopia; attacks could be against civilian targets including places frequented by foreigners. Since the mid-1990's, Somali groups affiliated with terrorist organisations have clashed with government forces in the border states, particularly in the Ogaden region. They may also occasionally operate within the Oromiya, and Afar regions. See the Terrorism / Security section of this travel advice for more details.
* "Following serious politically-motivated disturbances in Addis Ababa in late 2005, the situation remains unpredictable. You should remain extremely vigilant at all times if in public places and you should avoid any public demonstrations or large gatherings of people. See the Political Situation section of this travel advice for more details.
* "Around 8,000 British tourists visit Ethiopia each year. The main type of incident for which British nationals required consular assistance in 2006 in Ethiopia was for replacing lost passports or dealing with victims of crime. See the Crime section of this travel advice for more details."
Notes for Editors
We previously advised:
* "We advise against all travel to the Afar and Danakil regions of north eastern Ethiopia. On 1 March 2007, thirteen people including a group of western tourists and their tour guides were abducted by an armed group near Lake Asele in the Danakil Depression region in North Eastern Ethiopia. Five of those abducted were released on 13 March.
* "We also advise against all travel within 20 kms of the Eritrean border in the Tigray and Afar regions at any time, which remain predominantly military zones. The Ethiopia/Eritrea border remains closed. On 16 October 2006, the UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea reported that Eritrean troops have moved troops and tanks into the Temporary Security Zone ( TSZ ) separating the two countries. The situation is very tense and could deteriorate extremely rapidly.
* "We advise against all travel to the Gambella Region at any time, where continuing unrest and sporadic violence has led to many deaths since December 2003. On 11 June 2006, there was an attack on a bus outside Gambella in which a number of people are believed to have been killed. The situation remains tense.
* "There is a high threat from terrorism in Ethiopia; attacks could be against civilian targets including places frequented by foreigners. Since the mid-1990's, Somali groups affiliated with terrorist organisations have clashed with government forces in the border states, particularly in the Ogaden region. They may also occasionally operate within the Oromiya, and Afar regions. On 24 April 2007, an armed group attacked an oil exploration facility in Obele, resulting in civilians including foreign workers being killed and kidnapped. See the Terrorism / Security section of this travel advice for more details of this and other recent incidents.
* "Following serious disturbances in Addis Ababa in late 2005, the situation remains unpredictable and there are continued reports of incidents, often involving educational establishments. There were explosions in Addis Ababa on 12 May 2006, resulting in four deaths and 43 injured. See the Terrorism section of this travel advice for more details.
* "You should remain extremely vigilant at all times if in public places and you should avoid any public demonstrations or large gatherings of people.
* "Around 8,000 British tourists visit Ethiopia each year. The main type of incident for which British nationals require consular assistance in Ethiopia is for lost passports/stolen property."
Full details of the revised travel advice for Ethiopia are available on the Foreign Office website ( http://www.fco.gov.uk ).
FCO Travel Advice can also be obtained on the following telephone number: 0845 850 2829.
FCO Travel Advice is kept under constant review. This advice is based on our latest assessment of the situation in Ethiopia.
Press Office, Downing Street ( West ), London SW1A 2AL
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