Ethiopia has criticized the United States issuing a security alert for flight pilots to and from Ethiopia, in light of the ongoing armed conflict there.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Ethiopia (CAAE) said in a statement that any flight operating in the country's airspace, including through Addis Ababa International Airport, is "safe and secure."
(CAAE) added: "The warning that was issued and circulated by the media is false and contradicts reality, and we assure the users of our airspace and our airports that we will not be lenient in ensuring their security and safety, and we are taking every effort to ensure that flights are organized in a safe and secure manner as in the past." Civil Aviation in Ethiopia for its commitment to international standards for aviation security and safety.
This comes after the US Federal Aviation Administration called on pilots of flights to and from Ethiopia to exercise caution due to the risk of their planes being directly and indirectly targeted when landing or taking off through Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, one of the most crowded airports on the African continent.
The FAA's report released on Wednesday cited "ongoing clashes" between Ethiopian forces and the Tigray Front, which have killed thousands of people in a year.
And America urged its citizens this week to leave Ethiopia immediately, stressing that it would not be able to evacuate them if the security situation suddenly worsened.
Washington also advised its citizens in Ethiopia earlier this month to leave the country as soon as possible and announced it is offering repatriation loans for those who do not have the funds to leave.