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Mekele was hit by “heavy bullets” on Saturday, according to development workers.
8:10 pm, November 28, 2020
According to government reports, the Ethiopian army has entered the capital of the separatist region of Tigray. “We managed to enter Mekele without attacking civilians“explained the Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Saturday according to the EBC television network. The armed forces had previously launched an offensive against the city of 500,000 inhabitants.
Mekele was hit by “heavy bullets” on Saturday, according to development workers. According to the regional government, the city center was attacked with “heavy weapons and artillery.” The targets also included civilians and infrastructure.
It is difficult to verify the statements of the parties to the conflict because the region has been practically isolated from the outside world since the unrest began.
Abiy announced the offensive on Thursday. He had instructed the army to initiate “the third and final phase” of action against the TPLF, the Popular Liberation Front, which ruled Tigray.
There has been tension in Tigray for months. The TPLF ruling dominated Ethiopian politics for three decades before Abiy came to power in 2018. The TPLF does not recognize the head of government who received the Nobel Peace Prize last year.
Abiy sent forces to Tigray earlier this month, which completely ignited conflict with the TPLF. According to estimates by the International Crisis Group (ICG), which specializes in conflict, several thousand people have so far been killed in the fighting in Ethiopia. According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), more than 43,000 people fled to neighboring Sudan. Observers fear the fighting will widen and destabilize the entire region.
