ADDIS ABABA, Nov 28 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed
ordered Ethiopia’s army to launch a “final” offensive against Tigray’s
dissident leaders in their regional capital Mekele, saying the deadline for
their surrender had expired.
Abiy late Sunday gave the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) 72 hours to lay down their arms.
The ultimatum was rejected by the leaders of the region, whose forces have
been fighting federal troops in the country’s north for three weeks.
The violence has claimed hundreds of lives and displaced more than 40,000,
with some refugees claiming that Ethiopia’s army has blocked a main
road to Sudan, preventing those fleeing the conflict from crossing the
border.
Ethiopia’s army — which in recent days said it was advancing on Mekele
with tanks — have been directed “to conclude the third and final phase”
against the TPLF, Abiy said.
“In this final phase, great care will be given to protect innocent
civilians from harm. All efforts will be made to ensure that the city of
Mekele, which was built through the hard work of our people, will not be
severely damaged,” Abiy promised.
He said “thousands” of TPLF militia and special forces had surrendered to
federal forces before the deadline lapsed.
It was not immediately clear how close the army was to the city. A
communications blackout in Tigray and restrictions on reporting have made verifying claims from both sides difficult.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres urged “the leaders of Ethiopia to do
everything possible to protect civilians” as the US, EU and other
international powers encouraged mediation through the African Union (AU), which is headquartered in Addis Ababa.
Abiy stressed that Ethiopia’s defence forces had “carefully devised” a
strategy to defeat the TPLF in Mekele without harming civilians or public
property.
“We call on the people of Mekele and its environs to disarm, stay at home
and stay away from military targets” and assist by handing over TPLF elements in their midst, Abiy said.
Abiy ordered troops into Tigray on Nov 4 following alleged attacks by
TPLF forces on federal military camps in the region.
He has resisted appeals for talks. His government signalled it would meet
the AU envoys “as a matter of respect”, but flatly refused to negotiate.
As international pressure mounted this week, Abiy issued a strongly-worded statement rejecting outside “interference” in what he labelled an internal “law enforcement” operation.
Since the fighting began, rockets have fallen on the Eritrean capital
Asmara and Ethiopian cities outside Tigray, spurring fears the conflict could
destabilise the wider Horn of Africa region.
Hundreds have reportedly been killed, although an accurate figure is not
known. Ethiopia’s rights watchdog this week said at least 600 civilians were
massacred in the Tigrayan town of Mai-Kadra alone.
The UN, in its latest crisis report, said shortages of cash and fuel were
“very critical” in Tigray and humanitarians were struggling to meet needs.
Abiy committed Thursday to opening a humanitarian access route into Tigray and working with the UN and other aid agencies to help those in need.
More than 40,000 people have crossed into eastern Sudan, where the UN says a “full-blown humanitarian crisis is unfolding” in one of the country’s
poorest regions.
The TPLF led the overthrow of Mengistu Hailemaria, leader of Ethiopia’s
military Derg regime, in 1991 and dominated the country’s politics until Abiy became prime minister in 2018.
Since then, TPLF leaders have complained of being sidelined by Abiy and
blamed for the country’s woes, and tensions have flared between the regional leadership and the federal government in Addis Ababa. — NNN-AGENCIES