Rebel fighters in Ethiopia’s war-hit Tigray on Tuesday seized control of more territory, one day after retaking the local capital and vowing to drive all “enemies” out of the region.
The rebels’ gains and militant rhetoric cast doubt on whether a unilateral ceasefire declared on Monday by the federal government would lead to a pause in the nearly eight-month-old conflict that has killed thousands of people and pushed hundreds of thousands to the brink of famine.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, winner of the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize, sent troops into Tigray in November last year to oust the northern region’s former ruling party, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).
The move came in response to TPLF attacks on federal army camps, he said, promising that victory would be swift.
However, on Monday, his military experienced a dramatic reversal when rebels known as the Tigray Defense Forces (TDF) reclaimed the regional capital, Mekele, only about a week after launching a major counteroffensive.
They followed that on Tuesday by entering the town of Shire, about 140km northwest of Mekele, a UN security source said.
The report has prompted street celebrations, as federal soldiers, their Eritrean allies and members of an Abiy-appointed interim regional government have fled their posts.
A statement overnight from Tigray’s pre-war government hailed the TDF advances and called for its fighters to press further.
“The government of Tigray calls upon our people and the army of Tigray to intensify their struggle until our enemies completely leave Tigray,” it said.
On Tuesday, the International Crisis Group, an advocacy organization for conflict prevention, said that the TDF was “now in control of most of the region, including major towns.”
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