Unremitting fighting reported as federal troops near Tigrayan capital

The fighting in Ethiopia's Tigray region has been continuing as the dissident leader rejected Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's 72-hour ultimatum that was issued on Sunday.

The federal army has said its forces are within 60 kilometers of Mekele, the capital city of Tigray region ahead of a threatened all-out bombardment of the city, home to about half a million people. Prime Minister Abiy has urged the people of Mekele to side with the national army against the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), "in bringing this treasonous group to justice."

The Ethiopian government said on Tuesday that a large number of Tigrayan militia and special forces were surrendering in line with the ultimatum before a threatened offensive.

A general view of Um Rakuba refugee camp in Qadarif, eastern Sudan, November 23, 2020. /AP

Getachew Reda, a spokesperson for the Tigray forces, said on Tuesday that the TPLF forces "completely destroyed" the army's 21st mechanized division in an assault at Raya-Wahirat led by a former commander of that unit now fighting for the TPLF, which the federal government denied.

Prime Minister Abiy earlier accused Tigrayan forces of destroying key infrastructure in their retreat from fighting, including the airport in the town of Axum and schools, bridges, medical centers and roads. He has given Tigrayan forces until Wednesday to surrender or face an assault on Mekelle. However, the TPLF leader Debretsion Gebremichael said the federal troops were trying to cover for setbacks against Tigrayan forces, and was issuing threats to buy time.

An Ethiopian refugee fleeing from the ongoing fighting in Tigray region, holds her new born baby at the Um-Rakoba camp, on the Sudan-Ethiopia border, in the Al-Qadarif state, Sudan, November 23, 2020. /Reuters

Since the conflict erupted on November 4, hundreds of people have been killed and over 40,000 Ethiopians have fled west into Sudan. The ongoing fightings have spread to Eritrea, where the TPLF has fired rockets, and also affected Somalia where Ethiopia has disarmed several hundred Tigrayans in a peacekeeping force fighting al Qaeda-linked militants.

The U.S. embassy in Eritrea's capital Asmara, where TPLF rockets have fallen near the airport, issued an alert saying it had reports that neighborhood wardens advised residents to remain indoors at the instruction of local officials.

"All U.S. Citizens in Asmara are advised to continue to exercise caution, remain in their homes, and conduct only essential travel until further notice," the embassy said.

Ethiopian refugees fleeing from the ongoing fighting in Tigray region, wait for food at the Um-Rakoba camp, on the Sudan-Ethiopia border, in the Al-Qadarif state, Sudan, November 23, 2020. /AP

On Monday, the U.S. National Security Council on its official Twitter account called for mediation between the Ethiopian federal government and the TPLF, saying it supports the efforts led by Cyril Ramaphosa, former South African president and African Union to end this tragic conflict now.

Prime Minister Abiy has resisted international pressure to halt the fighting, including from the African Union (A.U.), describing the campaign as a "law enforcement operation" against a "treasonous group" that is now entering its final phase.

Redwan Hussein, spokesperson for an Ethiopian committee handling the conflict, said the government would meet envoys sent by the A.U. "as a matter of respect" but flatly ruled out any talks with the TPLF.

"Facts on the ground have changed, and we've come to the very end," he told reporters on Monday.

(With input from agencies)