Ethiopia to Begin ‘Final Phase’ of Offensive in Tigray Region

The Ethiopian military will begin the “final phase” of an offensive in the rebellious northern Tigray region, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said in a statement on Thursday, hours after an ultimatum for Tigray forces to surrender expired.

“The 72-hour period granted to the criminal TPLF clique to surrender peacefully is now over and our law enforcement campaign has reached its final stage,” he tweeted, adding that civilians would be spared and that thousands of fighters had already surrendered.

African envoys went to Ethiopia to plead for peace on Wednesday, hours before the ultimatum was to expire. Rights groups fear any assault could bring huge civilian casualties.

But Abiy is rejecting growing international consensus for dialogue and a halt to deadly fighting in the Tigray region as “unwelcome,” saying his country will handle the conflict on its own.

 “We respectfully urge the international community to refrain from any unwelcome and unlawful acts of interference,” Abiy said.

Abiy’s government set a 72-hour ultimatum on Sunday for the Tigray People’s Liberation Front to lay down its arms or face an assault on Mekelle, the highland regional capital city of 500,000 people.

Thousands of people are already believed to have died and there has been widespread destruction from aerial bombardment and ground fighting since the war began on November 4. Around 42,000 refugees have fled over the border to Sudan. TPLF rockets have hit neighbouring Eritrea.

Abiy’s government has said it aims to protect civilians, including Tigrayans, but reports continue of arrests, discrimination, house-to-house searches and frozen bank accounts.

Rita Osakwe/Agency Reports