Africa-Press-Ethiopia
On Monday, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) announced it had recaptured the Tigray capital of Mekelle from Ethiopia’s federal government.
It signals a major turning point in a conflict that has lasted more than six months, displaced millions of people and racked up an estimated death toll in the thousands.
“We want to congratulate that our capital city Mekelle is under full control of our forces, and the elected regional government is reinstated,” said Liya Kassa, a spokesperson for the regional Tigray government that was dissolved when the conflict broke out.
The latest development is a striking turnabout — six months ago, Ethiopia’s federal troops launched a major offensive on the city, chased the Tigray forces out and installed an interim government in the city.
On Monday, the federal government announced a ceasefire for humanitarian reasons, following a request from Tigray’s interim administration.
“During the summer, we need the farmers to give a break to cultivate using what they have. Second, until now, we have enough food aid to those in need,” Dr. Abraham Belay, head of the interim Tigray government, said on state media.
He said that many of the “destructive” Tigray forces have been defeated, but claimed there are some who are open to discussions with the federal government.
The situation on the ground remains unclear and communications are down across Tigray. But in a recent statement, the TPLF said they would continue fighting their enemies. They didn’t say whether they would accept the ceasefire announced by the federal government.
Support for the TPLF remains high in and out of Ethiopia.
On Sunday, around 200 Tigrayans living in neighboring Sudan came together for a TPLF-sponsored, fundraising event for refugees. Since the conflict, more than 60,000 Ethiopians have fled to neighboring Sudan and now live in refugee camps.
