‘Save yourselves’: Ethiopia warns Tigrayans of Mekelle attack

Ethiopia’s army plans to surround the capital of Tigray with tanks and may attack the city with artillery to end a nearly three-week war, a military spokesman said, urging civilians to “save themselves”.

Ethiopian forces seized the town of Idaga Hamus, 97km (60 miles) from the rebel-held Tigray capital of Mekelle, a government task force said on Sunday.

“Our defence force took control of Idaga Hamus town, which is located on the road from Adigrat to Mekelle. The defence force is advancing to capture Mekelle, which is the final goal of the operation,” it said in a tweet.

Claims by all sides are hard to verify because phone and internet communication has been down since fighting began on November 4.

The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), which is refusing to surrender its rule of the northern region, said its forces were digging trenches and standing firm.

The war has killed hundreds, possibly thousands, and sent more than 30,000 refugees into neighbouring Sudan. Rockets have been fired by the TPLF into the neighbouring region of Amhara and across the border into Eritrea, as it accused both of aiding Ethiopia’s federal forces.

Military spokesman Colonel Dejene Tsegaye told the Ethiopia Broadcasting Corporation the next phase of the operation was “to encircle Mekelle using tanks”.

“We want to send a message to the public in Mekelle to save yourselves from any artillery attacks and free yourselves from the junta… After that, there will be no mercy,” he said.

‘Couldn’t move an inch’

TPLF leader Debretsion Gebremichael told Reuters news agency his forces were resisting a push from south of Mekelle while also fighting near the northern town of Adigrat after it had fallen to federal troops.

“Encircling Mekelle is their plan but yet they couldn’t,” he said. “On south front, they couldn’t move an inch for more than one week. They [are] sending waves after waves but to no avail.”

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s federal troops have taken a string of towns during aerial bombardments and ground fighting, and are now aiming for Mekelle, a highland city of about 500,000 people where the rebels are based.

Countries around Africa and Europe have urged a truce, but Abiy has so far rebuffed that.

Al Jazeera’s Mohammed Adow, reporting from the capital Addis Ababa, said Ethiopian officials are describing the offensive as the “final push” to capture Tigray.

“They have been dropping leaflets on the capital, Mekelle, telling civilians who remain to be nowhere near military installations,” said Adow.

“Government troops are now advancing from the north, south and west. But security analysts are warning that any expectations of a rapid and decisive victory by government forces is very optimistic and they face a protracted war of attrition.”

‘Take maximum restraint’

Abiy accuses the Tigrayan leaders of revolting against central authority and attacking federal troops in the town of Dansha on November 4. The rebels say his government has marginalised and persecuted Tigrayans since taking office two years ago.

The prime minister drew plaudits for opening up Ethiopia’s closed economy and repressive political system after taking office. He won a Nobel Peace Prize last year for a peace agreement with Eritrea.

Redwan Hussein, spokesman for the government’s task force on Tigray, said there was still time for the TPLF leadership to surrender. “The government will take maximum restraint not to cause major risks for civilians,” he added.

He said while many Tigrayan special forces and militia fighters had surrendered or scattered around Adigrat, resistance was stronger on the southern front, where rebels have dug up roads, destroyed bridges, and booby-trapped roads with explosives. He said government troops had taken high ground there and were moving forward.

Aid agencies fear a humanitarian disaster in a region where hundreds of thousands relied on food aid and were displaced even before fighting began.