In Ethiopia, Mekele, the capital of the Tigray region, has been attacked for the second time since the rebels offered a ceasefire. At least ten people died in airstrikes, officials at a city hospital said. Most of the casualties in a second attack were among people who wanted to help those injured after the first bombing.
Mekele had already been attacked from the air on Tuesday. One person was injured in the process. There was initially no comment from the central government in Addis Ababa.
Over the weekend, Tigray agreed to a ceasefire and a peace process led by the African Union (AU). The central government has not yet responded to the offer.
The role of Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in the conflict with the Tigray region is disputed
Fighting between the Ethiopian army and the armed forces in Tigray has been ongoing since November 2020. The rebels of the People’s Liberation Front in Tigray TPLF accuse Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of centralizing power at the expense of Ethiopia’s regions. Abiy denies this and in return accuses the TPLF of wanting to regain power in the country. The TPLF was the dominant force in the state until Abiy was elected Prime Minister in 2018.
as/qu (rtr, ape, afpe)
