Ethiopia: the federal army is preparing to invade Mekele
Militiamen from the Amhara region on their way to the front to fight the Tigrayan TPLF, November 9, 2020. REUTERS / Tiksa Negeri /
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In Ethiopia, the conflict continues in the province of Tigray, still cut off from the world since the fighting began on November 4.
The federal army says it is advancing towards the dissident regional capital, Mekele, and is preparing to invade it.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed gave the TPLF, the party that runs the region, three days to surrender, and the army has warned residents of the town, prompting a UN warning.
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It was the martial language used by the spokesperson for the Ethiopian army that caused the concern.
"
Save yourself from artillery attacks and free yourself from the junta
" of the TPLF, launched Colonel Dereje Tsegaye to the residents of Mekele, during a press briefing on Sunday.
"
After which there will be no mercy,
" he said.
To Reuters, the UN humanitarian coordinator in Ethiopia, Catherine Sozi, immediately expressed concern for "
the protection of the 525,000
civilians living in Mekele
".
Laetitia Bader, Human Rights Watch manager for the Horn of Africa, also warned: "
Treating an entire city as a military target would not only be illegal,
" she responded on Twitter, "
but could also be considered as a form of collective punishment
”, that is to say a war crime.
So in the evening, the Ethiopian government tried to clarify its intentions.
The army said the colonel was referring only to TPLF leaders.
And a long text signed by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed was published by a government agency.
He assured that "
all necessary precautionary measures have been taken to ensure that civilians are not injured
."
He gave the TPLF 72 hours to surrender, that is to say by Wednesday, November 25.
► See also: Tigray conflict in Ethiopia: the noose is tightening around the city of Mekele
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