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According to government reports, the Ethiopian army has entered the separatist region’s capital of Tigray. It is also said that heavy weapons were used. It is unclear if civilians were killed.
The Ethiopian army claims to have captured the capital of the separatist region of Tigray. Ethiopian troops control Mekele, Chief of Staff Birhanu Jula said on Ethiopian television. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said: “We march without attacking innocent civilians.”
The offensive against the city with its 500,000 inhabitants had started just hours before. Local television station Tigray TV reported that Mekele was heavily bombed. According to the regional government, the city center was attacked with “heavy weapons and artillery.” The targets also included civilians and infrastructure.
The information is difficult to verify because telephone and Internet connections to Tigray are largely cut off and the region is isolated from the outside world.
Civilians must be saved
Prime Minister Abiy wants to overthrow the Popular Liberation Front (TPLF), which ruled Tigray, and have its leader arrested. The conflict takes months. The TPLF dominated Ethiopian politics for three decades before the current Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy came to power in 2018. The TPLF does not recognize Abiy.
The head of government, who had only received the Nobel Peace Prize for his reforms in 2019, rejected international calls for dialogue. On Thursday he gave his troops the order to march on Mekele. His government threatened ruthless punishment for those who remain loyal to the TPLF. At the same time, he promised to ensure that as few civilians as possible were harmed. Many residents of Mekele fled the city.
Concern at the UN
Pope Francis asked for prayer for Ethiopia on Twitter. The US ambassador to the United Nations, Kelly Craft, wrote that Washington was very concerned about the situation in Tigray. The office of the UN Secretary General, António Guterres, said he was very concerned about the consequences of the conflict for the civilian population.
Observers fear the fighting will widen and destabilize the entire region. Hundreds of people have been reported killed in the fighting in Ethiopia so far. More than 40,000 have fled the conflict zone so far. The UN called for help for the Tigray refugees. Donations are urgently needed to support the tens of thousands of refugees.
