‘Save yourselves’
Advancing Ethiopian troops plan to surround the Tigray region's rebel-held capital with tanks and may shell the city to force surrender, a military spokesman said yesterday, urging civilians to save themselves.
The Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), which is refusing to surrender its rule of the northern region, said its forces were digging trenches and standing firm.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's federal troops have taken a string of towns during aerial bombardments and ground fighting, and are now aiming for Mekelle, a highland city of about 500,000 people where the rebels are based.
The war has killed hundreds, possibly thousands, sent more than 30,000 refugees into neighbouring Sudan, and seen rockets fired by rebels into neighbouring Amhara region and across the border into Eritrea.
Foreign nations have urged talks, but Abiy has pressed on with the offensive since Nov 4.
Claims by all sides are hard to verify because phone and internet communication has been down.
"The next phases are the decisive part of the operation, which is to encircle Mekelle using tanks," military spokesman Colonel Dejene Tsegaye told state-run Ethiopia Broadcasting Corporation.
"We want to send a message to the public in Mekelle to save yourselves from any artillery attacks and free yourselves from the junta ... After that, there will be no mercy."
TPLF leader Debretsion Gebremichael told Reuters by text message that his forces were resisting a push from the south while also fighting near the northern town of Adigrat after it fell to federal troops.
Abiy accuses the Tigrayan leaders of revolting against central authority and starting the conflict by attacking federal troops in the town of Dansha. The rebels say his government has marginalised Tigrayans since taking office two years ago, removing them from senior roles in government and the military and detaining many on rights abuse and corruption charges.
Tigrayan leaders ruled Ethiopia for years before took office.
The prime minister drew plaudits for opening up Ethiopia's closed economy and repressive political system after taking office. However, rights groups say his government has carried out mass arrests after outbreaks of violence and detained journalists this year.
Abiy won a Nobel Peace Prize last year for ending a two-decade standoff with Eritrea.
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