Ethiopia expels Irish diplomats over Ireland’s stance on war

LONDON (AP) — Ireland’s government says Ethiopia has ordered four of six Irish diplomats working in Addis Ababa to leave the country because of Ireland’s outspoken stance over the ongoing conflict in Ethiopia. The Department of Foreign Affairs said Wednesday that Ethiopia’s government informed the Irish Embassy in the Ethiopian capital that the four diplomats must leave within one week. The Irish ambassador and one other diplomat were allowed to stay. In a statement, the department said Ethiopian authorities indicated this was “due to the positions Ireland has articulated internationally, including at the U.N. Security Council, on the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia.” Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney said he “deeply regretted” the decision.