Ethiopian PM Says Military ’Liberated’ West Tigray

By Staff, Agencies

Ethiopia’s military defeated local forces in the west of Tigray state, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said on Thursday, accusing his foes of atrocities during a week of fighting that threatens to destabilize the Horn of Africa.

Air strikes and ground combat killed hundreds, sent refugees flooding into Sudan, stirred Ethiopia’s ethnic divisions and raised questions over the credentials of Abiy, Africa’s youngest leader who won a Nobel Peace Prize in 2019.

“The western region of Tigray has been liberated,” tweeted Abiy, 44, who comes from the largest ethnic group the Oromo and once fought with the Tigrayans against neighboring Eritrea.

“In those liberated areas, the army is now providing humanitarian assistance and services. It is also feeding the people,” he added.

With communications down, transport blocked and media barred, independent verification of the status of the conflict was impossible. There was no immediate response from the Tigray People’s Liberation Front [TPLF], which rules the mountainous northern state of more than 5 million people.

Abiy accused the TPLF of starting the conflict by attacking a federal military base and defying his authority, while the Tigrayans say his two-year rule has persecuted them.

Abiy said some of his soldiers had been found dead in the town of Sheraro, shot with their legs and arms tied behind their back. “This kind of cruelty is heartbreaking and the goal is to destroy Ethiopia,” he said.

He, however, did not say how many bodies were found or provide proof in his Twitter comments in the local Amharic language.

Reuters could not verify his allegation and there was no immediate response from the TPLF, which has also accused federal troops of being “merciless” in bombing Tigrayans.