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Human rights activists report that a mob is said to have attacked people from other tribes with the help of security forces. The leaders of the separatist region could not be contacted directly
In Ethiopia A gang of Tigray youth is said to have killed at least 600 civilians in a massacre, according to human rights activists close to the state. The incident took place on November 9 in Mai Kadra, as announced by the government-occupied Ethiopian Human Rights Commission on Tuesday. The massacre is said to have been carried out with the help of local security forces, specifically against people who did not belong to the Tigray tribe. Reuters was unable to verify the information at first because telecommunications routes to the Tigray region are largely cut off.
Neither could the leaders of the separatist region be contacted directly. Amnesty International reported a massacre in the area on 12 November. At that time, the leadership of the Tigray Liberation Front TPLF had rejected a responsibility. The central government has been fighting the TPLF since early November. Hundreds, if not thousands, have died since then. Tens of thousands are fleeing and 30,000 people are seeking refuge in neighboring Sudan alone. Several states are pushing for a peaceful solution, but Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who was honored with the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019, remains steadfast in his offensive.
Insurgents reject the ultimatum
More recently, Abiy gave the rebels an ultimatum. On Sunday he asked the TPLF to “surrender peacefully in 72 hours.” Otherwise, the military will launch an offensive in the regional capital, Mekelle. On Monday, government troops said they had surrounded the city at a distance of 50 kilometers.
Insurgent leaders in the separatist Tigray region of Ethiopia rejected the central government’s ultimatum on Tuesday. People in the region were “ready to die” to defend their homeland, Debretsion Gebremichael, head of the TPLF People’s Liberation Front in Tigray, told AFP news agency.
Government troops have suffered setbacks and Abiy is trying to buy time with the ultimatum, the TPLF chief said. “He does not understand who we are. We are people of principle ready to die to defend our right to rule our region,” he said.
Getachew Reda, a spokesman for the TPLF, added: The Ethiopian Army’s 21st Division in North Tigray was “completely destroyed”. Initially it was not possible to verify if this was true.
The UN Security Council wants to address the fighting in Tigray for the first time on Tuesday. According to diplomatic circles, the deliberations are not public and it is unclear whether a statement will be released at the conclusion. The meeting of the most powerful body of the United Nations was requested by the African states in the council – South Africa, Niger and Tunisia – according to what the German press agency learned from diplomatic circles.
(APA / Reuters)
