The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) militants seized control of Tigray’s capital Mekelle on Tuesday following the Ethiopian government’s declaration of a unilateral ceasefire the previous day after almost eight months of brutal conflict. The group has vowed to continue its offensive “until every square inch of territory is cleared” from government troops.
Getachew Reda, the TPLF spokesperson, told the Associated Press that fighters are retaking parts of Tigray and chasing out Ethiopian and Eritrean forces. Reda said the TPLF would “stop at nothing to liberate every square inch” of Tigray. In addition, he rejected the ceasefire announcement by the government as a “sick joke” and blamed Prime Minister (PM) Abiy Ahmed's federal government for preventing aid from reaching Tigrayans. “Our primary focus is to degrade enemy fighting capabilities [...] So if going to Amhara is what it takes, we will do it, if going to Eritrea is what it takes, we will do it,” Reda told Reuters.
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Reuters reported that the TPLF militants had made territorial gains in several key Ethiopian towns, including Shire in northern Tigray, as Ethiopian and Eritrean forces continue to withdraw from Shire, Axum, and Adwa. An eyewitness told the agency that “everybody is welcoming them [TPLF militants] and celebrating.”
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The Ethiopian government, which has so far not made an official statement about the gains made by the TPLF, announced an immediate and unilateral ceasefire in Tigray on Monday to address humanitarian concerns. An official statement released by the Ethiopian Foreign Ministry stated that “the current challenge in the Tigray region needs to be addressed expeditiously given the risk of the humanitarian crisis confronting our people.” It added that to alleviate the crisis, the government “has decided to enact a Unilateral Humanitarian Ceasefire” with immediate effect.
DECISION BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF #ETHIOPIA IN RESPONSE TO THE PROPOSAL OF THE #TIGRAY PROVISIONAL ADMINISTRATION TO RESOLVE THE CHALLENGES FACING THE TIGRAY REGION pic.twitter.com/Du4VHU5Z46
— MFA Ethiopia🇪🇹 (@mfaethiopia) June 28, 2021
The United States (US) State Department spokesperson Ned Price said the ceasefire announcement “could be a positive step if it results in changes on the ground to end the conflict, stop the atrocities, and allow unhindered humanitarian assistance.” Price mentioned that Washington is “closely monitoring developments” in the region and urged all sides “to commit to an immediate, indefinite, negotiated ceasefire, to end the violence.”
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Ethiopia has been in the middle of a severe humanitarian and political crisis since November last year, when PM Ahmed ordered a military response to an attack on a federal army camp in Tigray by the TPLF, declared a “terrorist” organisation. The fighting quickly boiled over into a full-scale armed invasion by Ethiopian troops, who partnered with Eritrean soldiers in their operation. Ethiopian and Eritrean forces have also been accused of committing widespread atrocities against civilians, including massacres and using rape as a weapon of war.