Ethiopia’s Tigray conflict deepens as Abiy’s ceasefire fails

Bloomberg

The northern Ethiopia conflict may be headed for a dangerous turn after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s unilateral ceasefire failed and he backed calls to resist Tigray forces advancing to retake territory.
The Tigray People’s Liberation Front, which federal troops had initially overrun after fighting that started in November, recaptured the state capital, Mekelle, and have taken back control of more towns, including Mai Tsebri, Alamata and Korem, according to TPLF spokesman Getachew Reda. The ceasefire failed to bring peace, Abiy said.
“The government urges the people of Ethiopia to stand together,” Abiy said, and continue supporting the defense forces “in every way possible and defend the country’s sovereignty.”
The prime minister’s comments come days after his party was declared the winner of last month’s election, and highlights the challenges he has to overcome to unite Africa’s second-most populous nation. The Tigray conflict, which started eight months ago when Abiy ordered an incursion in retaliation for an attack on an army base, has led to the thousands of deaths, and the UN has warned that more than 900,000 people are on the brink of famine.