Uganda invites East African leaders to discuss the Ethiopia crisis.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has called for a summit of East African leaders to discuss the situation in Ethiopia, Reuters news agency reported today, Thursday, quoting an official at the Ugandan Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Addis Ababa had declared a state of emergency with the intensification of battles in the Tigray region, and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front announced its intention to advance towards the capital.

In a statement on its website, the US State Department advised its citizens not to travel to Ethiopia due to “armed conflict, civil unrest, communications disruption, crime, and the potential for terrorist attacks.”

The US embassy in Addis Ababa also called on US citizens in Ethiopia to prepare to leave the country amid the escalating conflict between the government and Tigray fighters, and the embassy also imposed restrictions on the departure of its employees from the capital, Addis Ababa, according to the American “CNN” news network.

The US warning came hours after the Ethiopian government declared a state of emergency across the country, following the announcement by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, that its forces may advance towards the capital, Addis Ababa.

The authorities of the capital, Addis Ababa, called on citizens to obtain licenses to carry weapons, noting the arrest of people who tried to cause chaos, without giving further details.