U.N. says at least 16 staff, dependents detained in Ethiopia

FILE PHOTO: A soldier with the Tigrayan forces reads a book as he guards the headquarters of the Tigrai Mass Media Agency in Mekelle, the capital of Tigray region, Ethiopia, July 7, 2021. REUTERS/Giulia Paravicini/File Photo

NEW YORK (Reuters) -At least 16 United Nations staff and dependents have been detained in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, a U.N. spokesperson said on Tuesday, amid reports of widespread arrests of ethnic Tigrayans.

"We are, of course, actively working with the government of Ethiopia to secure their immediate release," U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters in New York.