Authorities in Ethiopia have asked over 50 South Sudanese students to leave the Amhara region after it closed down a university due to the looming attack on the area.

Last week, the cabinet declared a nationwide state of emergency, effective immediately.

The authorities in Addis Ababa told citizens to prepare to defend the capital, as fighters from the northern region of Tigray threatened to march towards the city.

The move came after the Tigrayan fighters said they had captured the strategic towns of Dessie and Kombolcha in Amhara region, and also indicated they might advance further south, on Addis Ababa.

The six-month state of emergency allows, among other things, for roadblocks to be established, transport services to be disrupted, curfews to be imposed and for the military to take over in certain areas.

Anyone suspected of having links with “terrorist” groups could also be detained without a court warrant, while any citizen who has reached the age of military service could be called to fight.

There are reported more than 500 South Sudanese students pursuing various courses in the Ethiopian universities – some of whom are on government scholarships.

The head of South Sudan mission to Ethiopia and African Union, Am. James Morgan told Eye Radio that some of the South Sudanese students who have been asked to leave Amhara in Bahr Dar and Gondar universities.

Amb. Morgan says he expects the local authorities to hand over the students to the embassy on Wednesday.

“When our students are dumbed here tomorrow, it will not be possible for us to maintain them due to financial constraints,” the diplomat stated.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, the winner of the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize, sent troops into Tigray in November last year to topple the TPLF, accusing them of attacking military bases.

This led to the current unrests, with foreign nations warning their citizens of an all-out war in Ethiopia.