ETHIOPIA TO BEGIN ‘FINAL PHASE’ OF TIGRAY OFFENSIVE, AFTER ULTIMATUM TO SURRENDER EXPIRED

Thu 26 November 2020:

Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed tweeted Thursday that the country’s military will begin the “final phase” of an offensive in the northern Tigray region after his 72-hour ultimatum for the areas’s rebel leaders to surrender expired.

Final Phase of the Rule of Law Operations Commences pic.twitter.com/TAAyZxSe0U

— Abiy Ahmed Ali 🇪🇹 (@AbiyAhmedAli) November 26, 2020

Abiy said the army has been ordered to move on the embattled Tigrayan capital, Mekelle and  warned its residents to “stay indoors”.

The statement by the prime minister’s office means tanks and other weaponry can now close in on the city of some half a million people.

His government has warned of “no mercy” if residents do not move away from the Tigray leaders in time. “We will take utmost care to protect civilians,” it says.

Meanwhile on Wednesday, African envoys went to Ethiopia to plead for peace, hours before the ultimatum was to expire. Rights groups fear any assault could bring huge civilian casualties.

Abiy’s government set a 72-hour ultimatum on Sunday for the TPLF to lay down its arms or face an assault on Mekelle.

Thousands of people are already believed to have died and there has been widespread destruction from aerial bombardment and ground fighting since the war began on November 4.