Ethiopian rebels of the TPLF are gaining more and more territory in the north of the country. On Monday, power in Mekele, the capital of state Tigray, was taken over from the interim government set up by the federal government.
UN officials tell the BBC that rebels have now also taken the town of Shire, about 140 kilometers northwest of Mekele. The area had previously been controlled by troops from Eritrea supporting the Ethiopian army, but they had already left the city.
State-fire
The government unilaterally announced a ceasefire on Monday in Tigray, where a fierce battle has been raging between the government and the rebels since November last year. According to the government, the ceasefire should allow farmers to rebuild their land and give aid organizations access to the region, which is also ravaged by famine.
The rebels called the unilateral ceasefire in an interview with the AP news agency “a sick joke”. According to them, it is precisely the government that has refused humanitarian aid in the area. They are determined to take the entire area and expel government troops and Eritrean soldiers.
At least thousands have been killed in the bloody battle. More than two million people have been displaced and an estimated 350,000 are starving.
Tigray was not accessible to journalists for a long time, but correspondent Elles van Gelder was given access to the region this month:
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