Tigray rebel leader vows to continue war against Ethiopian forces despite territorial losses
- TPLF chief says the conflict is far from over as renewed fighting in northern Ethiopia raises fears of a wider regional confrontation
Loading…
Loading…
- TPLF chief says the conflict is far from over as renewed fighting in northern Ethiopia raises fears of a wider regional confrontation
By Andrew Wasike
NAIROBI, Kenya (AA) - The leader of Ethiopia’s Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) vowed Friday to continue fighting federal forces despite losing control of major towns, including the regional capital, Mekelle.
"Tigray will remain a graveyard for its enemies," TPLF chairman Debretsion Gebremichael declared in remarks broadcast by Tigrayan television on Friday.
Debretsion said the rebel movement remained engaged in military operations against government forces and rejected suggestions that the loss of territory amounted to defeat.
His remarks followed the Ethiopian military's capture of Mekelle on Oct. 3 after rebel forces withdrew from the city.
He claimed his fighters had achieved several battlefield successes in recent days and inflicted heavy casualties on federal troops.
The claims could not be independently verified, and Ethiopian authorities have not confirmed the casualty figures.
- Fighting continues despite government advances
Renewed hostilities erupted on Sept. 23, nearly four years after a peace agreement ended a devastating two-year civil war in northern Ethiopia.
Federal forces have since taken control of several strategic towns, while the TPLF has continued to claim attacks against government positions.
Separately, Ethiopia’s military said Friday that its forces had killed an unspecified number of TPLF fighters and captured four others in the western Benishangul-Gumuz region, near the Sudanese border.
The military said the operation targeted an armed unit known as Army 13, which it accused of seeking to destabilize the region.
Regional broadcaster Benishangul-Gumuz Media TV reported that Ethiopian security officials accused the fighters of operating with foreign backing, including from Sudan and Eritrea.
The fighting has intensified tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea, with Addis Ababa accusing its northern neighbor of supporting armed groups opposed to the federal government.
Eritrea has rejected accusations of destabilizing Ethiopia and expressed concern about Ethiopian statements regarding access to the Red Sea.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has appointed a caretaker administration for Tigray, with regional elections planned within six months. The TPLF has rejected the arrangement.
The renewed violence comes as Tigray continues to recover from the 2020–2022 war, which caused widespread displacement and severe humanitarian suffering.
A drone strike in southern Tigray killed four people this week as they loaded livestock onto a truck, the Addis Standard news outlet reported.
The outlet also reported deadly drone strikes in neighboring Amhara, where government forces are fighting Fano armed groups. Those strikes hit an elementary school Tuesday, killing at least six children and injuring 20 others, according to the report.
Andrew Wasike