Ethiopia's Tigray capital 'heavily bombarded' by federal forces: Reports

Ethiopian military has gained full control of Tigray's capital Mekele after "heavily bombarding" the region of over 5,00,000 residents. According to CBS News, regional media on Saturday reported that Mekele is being bombarded by the federal forces indiscriminately. However, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's office has denied the reports saying that the government would never bombard its own city and target its own people, but confirmed that the federal forces have entered Mekele.  

Read: UN Warns Of 'very Critical' Shortages In Ethiopia's Tigray

This comes almost a week after the Nobel Peace Prize-winning prime minister warned the rebel leaders of Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) and asked them to surrender. He also said that "no mercy" will be shown to those siding with the regional party. The conflict in Tigray has displaced millions of people, who have been forced to flee to neighbouring Sudan and live in refugee camps amid a deadly health pandemic. The number of casualties in the region remains unclear because of no accurate source as Tigray has been cut-off from the outside world since the fighting began. 

Read: Ethiopia PM Abiy Ahmed Rejects Talks With Tigray Rebels, Gives 72 Hours To Surrender

Tigray conflict

The immediate conflict in the region was sparked after the ruling TPLF party, a minority party at the centre but a strong and powerful group in the region, allegedly attacked a military base of the federal forces on November 4 following which Ahmed's government launched a military offensive. 

Read: Ethiopia Accuses WHO Chief Of Backing Defiant Tigray Region

Relations between TPLF and the government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed had started straining after the latter announced reforms to end ethnic federalism in the country. Ahmed dissolved the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front, which had ruled the country for 30 years, and created a new Prosperity Party by merging all regional parties. The creation of the Prosperity Party meant a reduction of TPLF's influence at the federal level, which prompted the powerful regional organisation to refuse to join the party. 

The relations took a drastic hit after the TPLF party held parliamentary elections in September despite the central government's decision to postpone all polls in the country due to COVID-19 concerns. 

Read: Ethiopian PM Abiy Ahmed Rejects Tigray Conflict Talks In African Union Meeting

(Image Credit: AP)