Celebrations as Tigray forces seize city
Addis Ababa, Tuesday
Rebel forces in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region have retaken its capital, Mekelle, sparking street celebrations and forcing officials to flee.
Residents reported scenes of joy, with fireworks and thousands waving flags.
The Ethiopian federal government had seized control of the town in November as conflict escalated after Tigray’s leaders rejected political reforms and captured army bases.
The fighting has left thousands dead and pushed 350,000 towards famine. More than two million people have been displaced.
The government, whose troops fled the city, has now called for a “humanitarian ceasefire” in the region.
There had been recent reports of renewed fighting between fighters of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and government forces outside Mekelle.
But a rapid offensive on Monday led to the unexpected recapture of the city by the rebels, in what may be a possible turning point in the bitter conflict.
A statement released by what was termed the Government of the National State of Tigray praised a “stunning victory”, saying Mekelle was “now under the complete control of the Tigray Defence Forces”.
It calls on the people and rebel forces “to stay vigilant, relentless and on constant alert until Tigray is fully free of all invading forces”.
Rebel spokesperson Getachew Reda suggested there was little appetite for a truce, telling CNN: “Our objectives are degrading the enemy’s fighting capabilities...
We will not stop until Tigray has been cleared of any and all enemy forces. We will do whatever it takes.”
He said on Tuesday that TPLF fighters were pursuing government forces to the south and east of Mekelle.
One government official told Agence France-Presse the interim administration in Mekelle had decided to leave on Monday after rebels closed in “on every side”, adding: “Everybody has left. The last ones left in the afternoon... The region doesn’t have a government.”
Residents told the BBC they were celebrating the federal troops’ departure. One witness was quoted by AFP as saying: “Everybody is out of their house.
Everybody is excited and they have music on the streets. Everybody has their flags out and music is playing.”
The UN children’s agency, Unicef, said Ethiopian government troops had entered its offices in Mekelle on Monday and destroyed satellite equipment. “We are not, and should never be, a target,” it said. AFP
