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Ethiopia PM orders ‘final’ offensive against Tigray leaders


Bangladeshpost
Published : 27 Nov 2020 08:02 PM

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Thursdayordered Ethiopia’s army to launch a “final” offensive against Tigray’sdissident leaders in their regional capital Mekele, saying the deadline fortheir surrender had expired, reports AFP.

Abiy, the winner of last year’s Nobel Peace Prize, late Sunday gave theTigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) 72 hours to lay down their arms.

The ultimatum was rejected by the leaders of the region, whose forces havebeen fighting federal troops in the country’s north for three weeks.

The violence has claimed hundreds of lives and displaced more than 40,000,with some refugees claiming Thursday that Ethiopia’s army has blocked a mainroad to Sudan, preventing those fleeing the conflict from crossing the border.

Ethiopia’s army — which in recent days said it was advancing on Mekelewith tanks — have been directed “to conclude the third and final phase” against the TPLF, Abiy said.

“In this final phase, great care will be given to protect innocentcivilians from harm. All efforts will be made to ensure that the city ofMekele, which was built through the hard work of our people, will not beseverely damaged,” Abiy promised.

He said “thousands” of TPLF militia and special forces had surrendered tofederal forces before the deadline lapsed.

It was not immediately clear how close the army was to the city. A communications blackout in Tigray and restrictions on reporting have madeverifying claims from both sides difficult.

Diplomats briefed on the fighting told AFP on Wednesday that federal forceswere at least 30 kilometres (18 miles) from Mekele to the north and the south.

The threatened assault and fears for Mekele’s half a million inhabitantsaccelerated diplomatic efforts to mediate, with the UN Security Council holding its first meeting on the crisis on Tuesday.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres urged “the leaders of Ethiopia to doeverything possible to protect civilians” as the US, EU and other international powers encouraged mediation through the African Union (AU), which is headquartered in Addis Ababa.

Rights groups have warned bombarding Mekele could constitute a war crime.

“Despite the Ethiopian military’s warnings to residents, warnings alone donot absolve the government of its obligation to take constant care to protect civilians, particularly when using airpower and heavy weaponry” in congestedurban areas, Human Rights Watch said.

Abiy stressed that Ethiopia’s defence forces had “carefully devised” astrategy to defeat the TPLF in Mekele without harming civilians or public property.

“We call on the people of Mekele and its environs to disarm, stay at homeand stay away from military targets” and assist by handing over TPLF elements in their midst, Abiy said.

Abiy ordered troops into Tigray on November 4 following alleged attacks byTPLF forces on federal military camps in the region.

He has resisted appeals for talks. His government signalled it would meetthe AU envoys “as a matter of respect”, but flatly refused to negotiate.

As international pressure mounted this week, Abiy issued a strongly-wordedstatement rejecting outside “interference” in what he labelled an internal“law enforcement” operation.

Since the fighting began, rockets have fallen on the Eritrean capitalAsmara and Ethiopian cities outside Tigray, spurring fears the conflict coulddestabilise the wider Horn of Africa region.

Hundreds have reportedly been killed, although an accurate figure is notknown. Ethiopia’s rights watchdog this week said at least 600 civilians were massacred in the Tigrayan town of Mai-Kadra alone.

The UN, in its latest crisis report, said shortages of cash and fuel were“very critical” in Tigray and humanitarians were struggling to meet needs.

Abiy committed Thursday to opening a humanitarian access route into Tigrayand working with the UN and other aid agencies to help those in need.

More than 40,000 people have crossed into eastern Sudan, where the UN saysa “full-blown humanitarian crisis is unfolding” in one of the country’spoorest regions.

“The numbers are way above the state’s capabilities,” Soliman Ali, thegovernor of the border state of Gedaref, told AFP.

The number of refugees arriving in Sudan has fallen sharply in the lastweek. Refugees arriving in eastern Sudan on Thursday accused Ethiopia’s armyof blocking a road at Humera near the border.

“Those seeking to reach Sudan must avoid the main road and pass throughfields without being seen by soldiers,” said TesfaiBurhano, who had justarrived at the Lugdi crossing point.