Ethiopia's Tigray Conflict

Saithan

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Tigrayan forces claim control over Ethiopian town of Kombolcha​

BY AGENCIES​

ISTANBUL AFRICA
NOV 01, 2021 10:22 AM GMT+3
Captured Ethiopian government soldiers and allied militia members sit in rows after being paraded by Tigray forces through the streets in open-top trucks, as they arrived to be taken to a detention center in Mekele, the capital of the Tigray region of northern Ethiopia, Oct. 22, 2021. (AP Photo)
Captured Ethiopian government soldiers and allied militia members sit in rows after being paraded by Tigray forces through the streets in open-top trucks, as they arrived to be taken to a detention center in Mekele, the capital of the Tigray region of northern Ethiopia, Oct. 22, 2021. (AP Photo)



Ethiopia’s prime minister has called on his supporters to redouble their efforts in the country's civil war, as rebel forces claimed to have seized key cities that control a major highway toward the capital.

A move on the capital, Addis Ababa, would signal a new phase in the war that has killed thousands of people since fighting broke out almost a year ago between Ethiopian government troops and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) in the country's northern region. The prime minister’s spokesperson, Billene Seyoum, did not immediately respond to a question Monday about the government leader’s current whereabouts or travel plans.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in a statement on Sunday said federal troops are fighting on four fronts against the Tigray forces and that "we should know that our enemy’s main strength is our weakness and unpreparedness.” The Tigray forces this weekend told The Associated Press (AP) they were poised to physically link up with another armed group, the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), with which it struck an alliance earlier this year.

The Tigray forces now claim to control the key cities of Dessie and Kombolcha, though the federal government disputes this claim.

"Firmly in control of #Kombolcha," TPLF spokesperson Getachew Reda said on Twitter, marking a major step in the rebel offensive since they retook most of Tigray from federal forces in June and expanded into neighboring regions. But government spokesperson Legesse Tulu told a press conference that, "There is currently fierce fighting in Dessie and Kombolcha."

Getachew said the TPLF, which dominated national politics for three decades until 2018, had no "other motive than breaking the deadly siege" on Tigray, which is in the throes of a severe humanitarian crisis.

In Kombolcha, frightened residents told Agence France-Presse (AFP) they had spent the day holed up in their homes as gunfire reverberated in the streets, with TPLF fighters clashing with Ethiopian soldiers and local militias. Semira, 36, one of the few people to step out on Sunday, said she spotted the rebels marching down the street after she finished praying at a local mosque. "I saw some soldiers... going out of the city with a few trucks," she told AFP. A shopkeeper who gave his name as Hamdiu said he also witnessed Ethiopian troops leaving on trucks. "The city is scary quiet now... all the people are indoors," he told AFP, adding that he could see TPLF fighters on the streets through his window.

The fighting could reach the Oromo region that neighbors the country's capital. Ethnic Oromo once hailed Abiy as the country’s first Oromo prime minister, but discontent has since emerged with the jailing of outspoken ethnic leaders. Also on Sunday, the government of the Amhara region, where fighting has been focused since Tigray forces retook much of their own region in June, ordered almost all government institutions to stop their regular activities and join the war effort. It also banned most activities in cities and towns after 8 p.m.

The Tigray forces say they are pressuring Ethiopia’s government to lift a monthslong blockade on their region of around 6 million people. Tigray leaders long dominated the national government before Ahmed took office in 2018.

Meanwhile, United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday he was alarmed by reports that rebellious Tigrayan forces had taken over two key Ethiopian towns of Dessie and Kombolcha.

"Continued fighting prolongs the dire humanitarian crisis in northern Ethiopia. All parties must stop military operations and begin ceasefire negotiations without preconditions," he said.

Ethiopia's government said on Monday rebellious Tigrayan forces had killed 100 youths in Kombolcha.

"The terrorist group TPLF has summarily executed more than 100 youth residents of Kombolcha in areas it has infiltrated. The international community should not turn a blind eye to such atrocities," the Government Communication Service said on Twitter. The statement did not include details.

 

Saithan

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US 'alarmed' by reported takeover of Ethiopian towns​

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United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the US is alarmed by reports that Tigrayan rebel forces have taken over two key Ethiopian towns of Dessie and Kombolcha.

“Continued fighting prolongs the dire humanitarian crisis in northern Ethiopia,” he says in a statement on Twitter, urging all parties to stop military operations:

Social embed from twitter​

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On Sunday, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed appealed to his supporters to use any weapons they have to stop the advance by Tigrayan rebel forces.
Thousands have been killed, many more face famine conditions and millions have been displaced by the continued fighting since November last year.

 

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Abiy urges all-weapons fight against Tigray rebel advance​

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Mr Abiy said it was the duty of citizens to, "block, destroy and bury" Tigray rebel forcesImage caption: Mr Abiy said it was the duty of citizens to, "block, destroy and bury" Tigray rebel forces

Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, has urged his supporters to use any weapons they have to stop an advance by Tigrayan rebel forces.

Mr Abiy said it was the duty of citizens to, "block, destroy and bury" the forces of the TPLF rebels.

He issued the appeal on Facebook after the rebels said they'd made further territorial gains in the Amhara region, taking them closer to the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.

A TPLF spokesman, Getachew Reda, said they had captured Kombolcha city and that their only aim was to break a siege of Tigray.

The Ethiopian government has denied assertions by the TPLF rebels that they've seized Kombolcha and nearby Dessie in the Amhara region.

It came as a spokesman of the rebel Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) also said they had taken Kemise city - about 50km (33 miles) from Kombolcha and 325km from Addis Ababa - and were fighting with government forces.

Communications with the Tigray region are largely blocked and desperately needed aid hasn't been getting through.

The United Nations estimates that 400,000 people in the region are living in famine-like conditions, a year after the conflict began.

 

Lool

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Hm.....
I wonder why Turkey isnt acting at all?
They do know that Ethiopia is a major pressure card against Egypt right? If Abiy Ahmed is gone and Tigray forces reclaim the country, they would be pro-Egypt and oppose the dam; thus, Egypt will have more room to wiggle through in international politics
I mean we all know that Egypt is supporting Tigray forces logistically, militarily, and tactically
 

what

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Hm.....
I wonder why Turkey isnt acting at all?
They do know that Ethiopia is a major pressure card against Egypt right? If Abiy Ahmed is gone and Tigray forces reclaim the country, they would be pro-Egypt and oppose the dam; thus, Egypt will have more room to wiggle through in international politics
I mean we all know that Egypt is supporting Tigray forces logistically, militarily, and tactically

You think they would let the billion € dam just rot? Its already there, not a project anymore.

This is one very overlooked conflict. It boggles my mind how the Tigray that represents 6-7% of the total population is able to expand like that. And to be honest I have little knowledge about the conflict.
 

Lool

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You think they would let the billion € dam just rot? Its already there, not a project anymore.

This is one very overlooked conflict. It boggles my mind how the Tigray that represents 6-7% of the total population is able to expand like that. And to be honest I have little knowledge about the conflict.
Tigray and its people were the rulers of ethiopia for decades. The tigray rulers, when they ruled all of ethiopia, gave priority to their people when it comes to military training, politics, high social and political positions etc...
In a sense, Tigrayan leaders were the kings, the tigrayan people were nobles amd the rest of the ethnic clans in ethiopia were fqing rotten peasants
That is why most of ethiopia supported Abiy Ahmed as none of the 90% of ethiopia wants to be slaves again for the remaining 10% of tigray

Tigray and its people view Ethiopia as their property and they dont like the fact that it is taken away from them nor do they like the fact that they (after ruling for several decades) finally became the peasants

The problem here is that Abiy Ahmed's army is made up of the 90% former slaves while Tigrayan forces is made up of the 10% trained soldiers; add to that Egypt's help and the current scenario is what you get

This is what I know about the conflict. I may be wrong on some details though
 

Lool

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Seems that Tigray and Oromo 9 different forces are going to join hands against the federal army
Not really
The other 8 forces, knowing that Abiy Ahmed will get killed, is trying to score points and gain new previliges with the new future rulers of Ethiopia - Tigrayan people! Why havent these 8 forces joined forces with Tigray when they were screwed? They only joined when Tigray is about to win the war

We all know that the new oppressed ppl of Ethiopia will be the Amhara group and the Tigrayan will get their revenge quite hard
 

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The situation in Ethiopia is dire but confusion persists about the war on the ground: in this conversation on StratnewsGlobal with Samuel Getachew, a journalist based in Addis Ababa, it appeared that misinformation and fake news are making it difficult to tell just who is telling the truth or even what is the truth.

Getachew was in the region surrounding Addis Ababa some time ago and saw no evidence of fighting although soldiers were present. There was a lot of military movement, and refugees he spoke to said they were harassed, threatened, and there was evidence of sexual abuse by all sides in the conflict.

He could not explain the precipitate withdrawal of the Ethiopian forces from Tigray within weeks of occupying it. Nor was he clear if neighbours like Egypt were involved given its concern over Ethiopia building a dam on the Nile. Is the US involved? For what reason, was not clear.


 

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