After northern Tigray Territory forces said they had made gains on the ground south, early this week, and threatened to march into the capital, Ethiopian authorities declared a state of emergency, the Ethiopian Parliament unanimously approved the imposition of a state of emergency in the country.

The announcement came two days after Prime Minister Abu Ahmed urged citizens to take up arms to defend themselves against the "Tigray People's Liberation Front."

The authorities in Addis Ababa have asked the population to register weapons and prepare defences, as part of the accounting for the advance of Tigray's forces.

The conflict broke out on the third night of November 2020 when forces loyal to the Tigray People's Liberation Front, including some soldiers, captured military bases in the northern province of Tigray.

In response, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed sent more troops to the area.

The United States expressed its deep concern over the escalation of violence and the expansion of hostilities in Ethiopia, while announcing through its embassy in Addis Ababa that it had decided to evacuate non-essential personnel and their families because of the escalation of the conflict.

The United States had earlier warned its citizens not to travel to Ethiopia and had called on its nationals to prepare for departure as the security situation deteriorated.

The announcement by the United States Embassy in Ethiopia came after Washington renewed the call for all parties to the conflict to cease military operations and start a ceasefire dialogue.