Ethiopia: the offensive in Tigray enters its "final" phase, announces the Prime Minister

Amhara armed forces in a border region of Tigray, Ethiopia, November 9, 2020. REUTERS / Tiksa Negeri

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Ethiopia has been plunged for two weeks into a spiral of violence with the government's offensive against Tigray, north of the capital Addis Ababa.

It is difficult to know the precise course of the fighting and the number of victims, because the province is still cut off from the world.

More than 27,000 Ethiopians have already fled to neighboring Sudan. 

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Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said on Tuesday morning that the offensive had entered its "

 "

phase 

to retake the provincial capital, Mekele.

For now, Mekele still remains a stronghold of the TPLF party, but government forces are approaching.

They took over

Monday, for example,

120 kilometers further south.

This is the moment chosen by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to launch the last phase of the attack which will take place in the coming days, he said.

A necessary final assault, according to him, because the TPLF would not have respected the ultimatum which was imposed on it three days ago, an ultimatum asking it to surrender.

Nevertheless, according to some diplomatic sources, this final assault could be more complicated than expected, first because of the mountainous terrain on the outskirts of Mekele, and secondly, because the Tigrayan forces have proven that they know how to use heavy artillery.

An airstrike was carried out on Monday in Mekele, near a rocket launch site, said Ocha, the United Nations office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs.

A raid that would have killed civilians, ensures for its part the TPLF.

After two weeks of conflict, the government is seeking popular support and called on all Ethiopians to respect a minute of silence on Tuesday morning.

A call followed at least around the central square of Addis Ababa, Meskel Square.

Horn concerts were also heard for several minutes.

But it is still difficult to assess the real enthusiasm behind the federal troops, the conflict being a fairly taboo subject in the streets of the capital in recent days.

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• Ethiopia

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