Ethiopia’s Tigre Crisis: Four Auxiliary Workers Killed

Aid agencies say four aid workers were killed last month during fighting in Ethiopia’s Tigris region.

The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) has reported the deaths of three security guards, while the International Rescue Committee (IRC) has said one of its staff members has been killed.

Government forces have been fighting the Tigre People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) in the region since November 4.

The government says it is in control of Tigre and the conflict is over.

But TPLF leaders say they are still fighting on various fronts.

Meanwhile, the United States has accused Eritrean forces of infiltrating the Tigris, which both Ethiopia and Eritrea deny.

Hundreds, thousands of people are believed to have been killed in the conflict, while about 500,000 neighbors have fled to Sudan.

Much of the information about the murder is still unclear. The area is still under a communication blackout so it is difficult to verify the information.

The DRC said it was “deeply saddened” by the deaths of three of its bodyguards.

“Sadly, due to lack of communication and ongoing insecurity in the area, it has not yet been possible to reach their families.”

The IRC said its employee was killed in the Hitsst refugee camp in Shire on November 19, two days before government forces took control of the city.

“We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of our colleagues; the staff in the country are at the very heart of our work and the key to our ability to provide support and assistance to our customers,” the IRC said in a statement. Efforts to gather information continued.

Ethiopian troops captured Macaulay, the capital of Tigris, on November 28 from the TPLF, but there are reports of fighting in parts of the region.

On Friday, the Ethiopian government denied that the conflict was preventing aid from reaching civilians.

Aid agencies say blocked access, delays and violence against staff are hampering access to aid in the region.

In response, Prime Minister Abiya Ahmed’s office said in a statement: “Suggestions that humanitarian aid is being disrupted due to active military action … in the Tigre region [are] False. “

Such statements undermine efforts to stabilize the region, he added.

Mr Abi said last week that federal troops had not killed a single civilian in the attack on Tiger.

Civilians fleeing fighting in Tigre last month told the Reuters news agency that they had been bombed by government warplanes, fired on the roads and attacked people.

The U.S. has vowed to withdraw Eritrean troops from the Tigris. U.S. Believe it or not, the Eritrean military – the TPLF with Mr. Abi. A common cause has been found – it entered the area following a rocket fire.

“We are aware of credible reports of Eritrean military involvement in the Tigris and see this as a serious development,” a State Department spokesman said.

“We urge that any such troops be withdrawn immediately.”

Both Ethiopia and Eritrea have denied that Eritrean troops were involved in the fighting.

About 100,000 Eritrean refugees are living in the camp in Tigre. They fled political repression and compulsory military service long before the current conflict.

The Ethiopian government said on Friday it had “misinformed” that a large number of Eritrean refugees had fled to the capital, Addis Ababa, after returning to Tigre – a shock to the UN.

The conflict began on November 4, when Mr Abi ordered military action against regional forces in Tigre.

He said he did so in response to an attack on government base housing government troops in Tigre.

The rise comes after months of squabbling between Mr Abi’s government and the leaders of Tigre’s dominant political party, the TPLF.

He has been at the center of party power for almost three decades since Mr Abi took office in 2018 following anti-government protests.

Correction: We have removed an erroneous quote from this story thanks to UNHCR