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Tigray rebels gain more ground, US gives cautious welcome to Ethiopia ceasefire
The conflict in Tigray began in the month of November when the Ethiopian government accused the local ruling party of ambushing a regional army post to hijack weapons and arm anti-government militia.
The United States gave a cautious welcome to the unilateral ceasefire announced by Ethiopia in its war-torn Tigray region. The US sees the announcement as a potential positive development if it leads to changes on the ground, the state department said.
"We are closely monitoring developments. We call on all parties to commit to an immediate, indefinite, negotiated ceasefire, so as to end the violence, restore stability to Tigray, and create a context for an inclusive dialogue that preserves the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Ethiopian state," State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement on Tuesday.
The United States also urges Ethiopian authorities to immediately restore telecommunication services in Tigray and permit unhindered freedom of movement, Price added.
Meanwhile, the rebels in the Tigray region gained more territory on Tuesday as part of the nearly eight-month-long conflict that has claimed thousands of lives. The Tigray Defence Forces' (TDF) latest victory came in the town of Shire, in the counter offensive they launched against the government crackdown.
Shire was captured just a day after regional capital Mekele was wrested by the TDF on Monday. The victory led to street celebrations in multiple locations.
In a statement, Tigray's pre-war government said Mekele is under complete control of TDF. "We reiterate our expressed commitment and pledge that Tigray will indeed be the graveyard of the unjust and unholy coalition of invading forces," the statement further said.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, winner of the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize, sent troops into Tigray last November to oust the northern region's former ruling party, the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF).
He said the move came in response to TPLF attacks on federal army camps, and promised that victory would be swift.
But his military has suffered a dramatic reversal at the hands of TDF.
The brutal war in Tigray has been marked by massacres, widespread sexual violence and other abuses. The United Nations has also warned that roughly 350,000 people face starvation.
