Ethiopian government declares full control of Tigray provincial capital

SANAA, Nov. 29 (YPA) – Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and General Berhanu Gula, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army said in a statement on  Saturday evening that federal forces had “taken full control” of Mekelle , the capital of Tigray province.

The authorities said earlier in the day that government forces were in the final phase of an attack on the territory and would spare no effort in protecting civilians in Mekelle , home to about half a million people.

There has not yet been a comment from the Tigray forces fighting government forces in that northern territory.

“The federal government now has full control of the Mekelle City,” the prime minister said in a statement on his Twitter page.

This followed a similar statement from the army chief of staff on the army’s official Facebook page.

Hours later, Tigray People’s Liberation Front leader Debretsion Gebremichael said that his forces would continue to fight the Ethiopian government, according to Reuters

“Their brutality will only increase our determination to fight these invaders to the end,” he said.

Asked by Reuters in a text message whether this meant his forces would continue to fight, Debretsion replied, “Absolutely. It is about defending our right to self-determination.”

The Government of Prime Minister Abi Ahmed has not yet responded.

The allegations of all parties to the conflict between government forces and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (PFLP) cannot be verified due to the interruption of communications and the Internet in the territory, as well as severe restrictions on entry into the territory since the fighting began on November 4.

Earlier today, a diplomat in direct contact with residents in Tigray and the commander of the rebel forces in the province said that Ethiopian government forces had launched an offensive to take control of the provincial capital.

The government gave the Tigray People’s Liberation Front a deadline last Sunday to lay down arms or face an attack on fried. This deadline expired on Wednesday.

Abiy accuses the region’s leaders of igniting the war by attacking an Ethiopian force base in the territory. The People’s Liberation Front of Tigray says the attack was a pre-emptive strike.

E.M