Ethiopian Government Retakes Holy Site, U.S. Embassy Considers Leaving

A State Department cable says the White House asked for "precautionary assurances" that American diplomats can safely evacuate in an emergency case.

The Ethiopian government has announced it fought back rebels to retake the town of Lalibela, a UNESCO World Heritage Site famous for its medieval churches carved in rock. 

After a year of bloody battles, displacement and famine, the country has deteriorated so much that the U.S. embassy is preparing for a potential evacuation.

Before the latest offensive, rebel forces from the northern Tigray region had been moving south, according to open-source conflict monitors, reaching the town of Debre Sina about 120 miles from the capital, Addis Ababa.