Conflict in Tigray: Ethiopia announces having taken "complete control" of Mekele
An Ethiopian soldier on the border between Tigray and Eritrea on November 20, 2020 (illustrative image).
EDUARDO SOTERAS AFP
Text by: RFI Follow
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The Ethiopian authorities say they have taken "complete control" of Mekele, the capital of the breakaway region of Tigray.
The announcement comes after 48 hours of artillery fire against the city but has so far not been independently verified as the region has still been cut off from the world for 25 days.
Humanitarian aid is blocked and telecommunications are still cut.
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It was in a statement read in the evening newspaper of public television that the chief of staff of the Ethiopian army, General Berhanu Jula, announced at the end of the day the capture of the town of Mekele.
This immediately followed a first statement from the head of government Abiy Ahmed who simply claimed that his army had "
succeeded in entering
" the city.
But the prime minister's office immediately confirmed that Mekele was under "
total control
" of his forces.
Military operations, he says, are "
complete and completed
."
I am pleased to share that we have completed and ceased the military operations in the #Tigray region.
Our focus now will be on rebuilding the region and providing humanitarian assistance while Federal Police apprehend the TPLF clicks.
#EthiopiaPrevails https://t.co/WrM2BAPCD6
- Abiy Ahmed Ali 🇪🇹 (@AbiyAhmedAli) November 28, 2020
What is certain is that since that night,
heavy weapon fire hit the plateau
where the capital of Tigray is located.
This had been confirmed by multiple sources: aid workers present on the spot and the two belligerents.
No reaction from TPLF yet
In its latest press release, the Ethiopian government claims to have now released the soldiers of the Northern Command, held by the TPLF since November 4, and secured its headquarters;
took control of the airport and regional institutions;
and conducted operations taking care not to affect civilian populations.
It is obviously not possible to verify this information.
The TPLF for its part did not react through its usual means of communication.
Tigrayan television was still broadcasting a pre-recorded program around 6.30 p.m., before the signal was finally cut.
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