Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) said Monday that they were back in control of Mekele, the capital of Ethiopia’s Tigray region.
The major turn of events comes after eight months of intense fighting in the region — with Ethiopia’s federal government also calling for a unilateral cease-fire.
Residents in Mekele reported rebel forces entering Mekele, while interim government officials appointed by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, left the city.
“The capital of Tigray, Mekele, is under our control,” a spokesperson for the TPLF told Reuters news agency.
The Tigray rebel fighters, have called themselves the Tigray Defense Forces (TDF), were reportedly greeted with cheers in the city.
“TDF has taken control of the city,” news agency AFP quoted an interim government official as saying. “They have entered. The city is celebrating. Everybody is outside dancing.”
Abraham Belay, head of the interim administration, said, “the government has the responsibility to find a political solution to the problem,” adding that some members within Tigray’s former ruling party were willing to talk with the federal government.
It remains unclear how many interim government officials have remained in their posts.
There have been no immediate comments from neighboring Eritrea, whose soldiers have been accused of committing atrocities in the conflict.
The US, UK and Ireland called for a United Nations Security Council meeting over the issue, although a date is yet to be set for it. The last Security Council session on the matter was held on June 15 behind closed doors. Diplomats said China was opposed to the adoption of a joint declaration on the risk of extended famine in Ethiopia.
After the arrival of rebel troops, Ethiopia’s government said it declared an “immediate, unilateral” cease-fire in its Tigray region.
It was unclear whether the cease-fire would be enforced or respected, as the offer came from the interim government in Tigray — with many officials now having left the capital city.
In a statement, the federal government said the cease-fire “will enable farmers to till their land, aid groups to operate without any military movement around and engage with remnants (of Tigray’s former ruling party) who seek peace,” adding that efforts to continue to bring Tigray’s former leaders to justice will not stop.
Ethiopia said the cease-fire would last until the end of the farming season in Tigray in September.
The government ordered all federal and regional authorities to respect the cease-fire.
Neither the TLPF nor the TDF immediately responded to the cease-fire announcement.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) accused the Ethiopian government of destroying its satellite equipment in the Tigray region on Monday.
UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore said on Twitter that the act “violates UN privileges and immunities and the rules of International Humanitarian Law regarding respect for humanitarian relief objects.” – DW.
