Thousands in Ethiopian capital rally against Tigray rebels

Protesters at a pro-military rally in Addis Ababa pledge to defend the capital from advancing rebel groups.

Tens of thousands of Ethiopians have pledged to defend the capital from advancing rebels during a pro-military rally where attendees dismissed diplomatic efforts to end the year-long war.

The rally in central Addis Ababa on Sunday was the government’s latest attempt to shore up public support for the conflict against the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and allied groups.

It came five days after the government declared a nationwide state of emergency ostensibly to protect civilians from the TPLF, which has claimed key gains in recent days while floating a possible march on the capital.

United States official Jeffrey Feltman arrived in Ethiopia on Thursday to try to broker an end to the hostilities.

The US embassy announced on Saturday it was ordering the departure of non-emergency staff, days after countries including Saudi Arabia, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark urged their citizens to leave Ethio.