Ethiopia Declares a No-fly Zone in the Northern Part of the Country

Borkena

November 5, 2020 

The Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority announced on Thursday that the airspace in the northern part of Ethiopia is now a no-fly zone, as reported by state media Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation (EBC). 

There will be international or local flights crossing the Tigray region of Ethiopia.

“The airspace in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia, is a no-fly zone for flights. We inform that there should be no violation of the announcement,” said the statement from the authority.

The prohibition came days after the Ethiopian government found itself in a war-like situation, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Deputy Chief of the Defense Force called it war, in the Tigray region of Ethiopia which is under the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). The situation in the region developed to war after TPLF launched an unexpected attack on Ethiopian Defense Force bases in the region. 

Meanwhile, there were reports on Thursday that the Ethiopian Air Force carried out a targeted airstrike on military facilities near Mekelle, the seat of Tigray regional government.  Tigray regional government has confirmed the story. However, no information is released so far regarding the extent of damages.