Raids on the capital of the Tigray region in Ethiopia

Yesterday, an airstrike was carried out on Mekele, the capital of Tigray in northern Ethiopia, a spokesman for local rebels and a hospital employee said on Twitter. The new blow, whose authenticity cannot be independently verified, comes two days after the Tigray rebels announced their willingness to engage in peace talks following the African Union’s mediation with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government to stop the war, which has been ongoing since November. 2020 Getachev Reda, spokesman for the Tigray rebels, tweeted: “Abyei Ahmed’s drones targeted the Adi Haki campus at Mikkeli University.” Another rebel spokesperson, Kendia Gebrehiot, confirmed that Mek’ele University was “bombed” resulting in casualties and property damage, noting that the strike came after the Tigray government formed a negotiating team and announced its readiness to conduct “peace talks” . Fighting has continued on multiple fronts in northern Ethiopia since renewed violence on August 24 following a five-month truce, with both sides blaming the other. The rebels accuse the Ethiopian and Eritrean armies of launching a joint attack from Eritrea, a country that borders northern Tigray and provided support to Ethiopian forces in the initial phase of the conflict. On Monday, he urged the international community, including the United Nations and the US Secretary of State, to seize the “opportunity” to bring peace to Ethiopia. The Tigray rebel forces were defeated early in the conflict, but regained control of most of the region in 2021 with a counterattack that extended into Amhara and Afar before retreating towards Tigray.