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Federal forces say they have seized control of the town of Wikro, 50 kilometers north of Makelle, as they march towards the regional capital.
Ethiopian forces will take control of the capital of the Tigray region in the coming days, the army said late on Friday, a day after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced the “final phase” of an offensive in the region. .
Federal forces seized control of Wikro, a city 50 kilometers (30 miles) north of Mekelle and “will control Mekelle in a few days,” Lieutenant General Hassan Ibrahim said in a statement. Government troops have also taken control of several other cities, he said.
The Reuters news agency could not immediately reach the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) for comment or verification of the statement.
The claims of all parties in the three-week conflict between the government and TPLF forces have been impossible to verify because telephone and Internet connections to the region are down and access to the area is strictly controlled.
Last Sunday, the government gave the TPLF until Wednesday to lay down its arms or face an assault on Mekelle, a city of 500,000, sparking fears among aid groups of a large number of civilian casualties.
Abiy announced military operations in Tigray on November 4 after months of friction between his government and the TPLF. His government and that of Tigray led by the TPLF are considered illegitimate.
Abiy, the winner of last year’s Nobel Peace Prize, accused Tigray leaders of starting the war by attacking federal troops at a base in Tigray. The TPLF says the attack was a preemptive strike.
Abiy, who announced Thursday that the army was beginning the “final phase” of its offensive, told African Union peace envoys a day later that his government will protect civilians in Tigray and is willing to speak with representatives. ” that operate legally “in the region.
However, a statement issued by the prime minister’s office after their meeting did not mention talks with the TPLF to end the fighting.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed greets an African Union envoy in Addis Ababa [Twitter/@PMETHIOPIA via Reuters]
The statement issued after Abiy met with African Union envoys, former Presidents Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf of Liberia, Joaquim Chissano of Mozambique and Kgalema Motlanthe of South Africa, added that the government was committed to the “protection and security of civilians ”.
The statement thanked the envoys for imparting their “wisdom, knowledge, and willingness to support in whatever way necessary” and did not mention any plans for further discussions with them.
The envoys had been sent to Addis Ababa to help mediate the conflict, something Abiy had already made clear he did not want, as he rejected any foreign “interference”.
Rockets target Eritrea
Meanwhile, at least one rocket fired from Tigray targeted Eritrea late Friday, four regional diplomats told AFP news agency, the second such attack since Ethiopia’s internal conflict broke out earlier this month.
There was no immediate confirmation of how many rockets were fired, where they landed and the casualties or damage caused.
The TPLF has accused Ethiopia of gaining Eritrean military support in the fighting, an accusation Ethiopia denies.
The group claimed responsibility for similar attacks in Eritrea two weeks ago, but there was no immediate comment from its leaders on Friday.
Thousands of people are believed to have died after airstrikes and ground fighting.
The United Nations estimates that 1.1 million Ethiopians will need help as a result of the conflict, which has caused commotion in the Horn of Africa and threatens to involve neighboring countries.
More than 43,000 refugees have fled to Sudan, and the UN estimates that number will reach 200,000 in six months.
The UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, had stressed the need to guarantee the protection of civilians, human rights and access to aid and “appreciates the statement of Prime Minister Abiy in which he reaffirms today the maximum commitment of the government federal government with these obligations, “UN spokesman Farhan Haq said on Friday.
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