Haile Gebrselassie swaps running shoes for army boots in war on Tigrayan forces

All British nationals in Ethiopia have been told to leave “immediately” as it was announced that the country’s Nobel Peace Prize-winning prime minister has left to fight on the front line against rebels advancing on the capital.

“The conflict in Ethiopia is deteriorating quickly. In the coming days we may see the fighting move closer to Addis Ababa, which could severely limit options for British nationals to leave Ethiopia,” Vicky Ford, the minister for Africa, announced on Wednesday.

“Those who choose not to leave now should make preparations to shelter in a place of safety over the coming weeks. We cannot guarantee there will be options to leave Ethiopia in the future,” Ms Ford said, adding that interest-free loans were available to help British nationals who could not afford to buy a flight to return to the UK.

The news came as Haile Gebrselassie, the former Olympic champion runner, said he was ready to trade in his running shoes for army boots and head to the frontline to fight alongside Abiy Ahmed, the Ethiopian prime minister, according to state media.

Gebrselassie set 27 world records, won two Olympic gold medals in the men’s 10,000m, and bagged eight World Championship gold medals – indoor and outdoor – during his 25-year career.

“I am ready to do whatever is required of me, including going to the front line,” said the 48-year-old, who is regarded as a living legend in Ethiopia, akin to David Beckham in Britain.

Gebrselassie’s comments are being seen as a clear attempt to rally public support behind the war effort as rebels approach Addis Ababa, the capital.

Feyisa Lilesa, a fellow Ethiopian athlete who won marathon silver at the 2016 Olympics, also voiced his support for the military drive. According to Ethiopian state-affiliated media, the 31-year-old said he was ready to draw inspiration from the “gallantry of my forefathers” and go to the front line to “save my country”.

Tens of thousands of people have died in the war between Ethiopian federal and allied troops, and fighters from the northern country’s Tigray region. The prospect of the ancient nation breaking apart has alarmed both Ethiopians and observers who fear what would happen to the already fragile Horn of Africa.

Earlier this month, ethnic Tigrayan rebels announced that they made a flash advance towards the capital along a major highway. The rebels now claim to have captured a town called Shewa Robit, about 130 miles north east of the capital, and roughly the same distance from London to Birmingham.

Mr Ahmed’s government has called on people in the capital to register any guns they have and fight to protect their neighbourhoods. Defence groups are reportedly springing up around Addis Ababa, a cosmopolitan metropolis of about five million people.

Commander Solomon Fantahun, the director of community policing for the city’s police commission, said that police have trained 147,000 volunteers in combating crimes, community policing, discipline and fitness.

Mr Ahmed announced earlier this week that he would go to the battlefront, saying that “this is a time when leading a country with martyrdom is needed”.

International alarm is mounting over the escalating war. France and Germany have also urged their citizens to leave Ethiopia immediately. The US has sent special operations soldiers to its military base in Ethiopia’s neighbour Djibouti and put three warships on standby to provide assistance to the US embassy in Addis Ababa.

The Telegraph understands that the British embassy in Addis Ababa has begun sending non-essential staff home.

The United Nations has started to evacuate all family members of international staff. An internal UN security order seen by AFP said that family members of international staff should be evacuated by November 25.