Authorities in the troubled Tigray region of northern Ethiopia claim that government forces and their allies have invaded the Shire, one of the country’s largest and most important cities and that they are still engaged in a “life and death combat.” The Ethiopian government declared its intention to run the airports in Tigray on Monday.
According to a statement by the Tigrayan rebel forces, moving out of a region is normal during a battle. It referred to the government’s entry into the Shire as “temporary.”
After five months of largely peaceful conditions, fighting started resumed in August. As a result of the suspension of assistance deliveries due to the increased fighting, there are rising fears that the humanitarian crisis may deteriorate.
According to the Tigrayan force’s statement, hundreds of thousands have left their homes out of fear of the local unrest. The Tigrayan military has urged the outside world to “fulfill its role and end the violence.”
In addition, they urged the people of Tigray to keep fighting “during this key stage of the conflict.” The conflict in Tigray, according to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, is “spiraling out of control” and needs to be stopped right away.
However, the violence is still going on, and there are unsubstantiated claims of government soldiers also invading many smaller towns in southern Tigray.