Diplomatic
efforts to try to avert an attack on Ethiopia's capital gathered pace on
Thursday after Tigrayan forces from the north of the country made advances
towards the city this week.
The
U.S. special envoy for the Horn of Africa, Jeffrey Feltman, was expected to
arrive in Addis Ababa later in the day to press for a halt to military
operations and a start to ceasefire talks.
Ugandan
President Yoweri Museveni called an East African bloc leaders' meeting on Nov.
16 to discuss the conflict, which pits the central government against the
Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) and its allies.
Separately,
the bloc, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, appealed for an
immediate ceasefire. It urged the parties to show restraint, de-escalate
tensions and resolve their differences through dialogue.
Kenyan
President Uhuru Kenyatta issued a statement on Wednesday saying "The
fighting must stop!"
He
called on the rival parties "to put down their arms and to cease the
fighting, to talk, and to find a path to sustainable peace".
U.N.
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he had spoken to Ethiopian Prime
Minister Abiy Ahmed on Wednesday "to offer my good offices to create the
conditions for a dialogue so the fighting stops".
In
another sign of alarm, the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa authorised the voluntary
departure of some staff and family members because of the intensifying hostilities.
Washington
said on Wednesday it was "gravely concerned" about the situation and
called for a halt to military operations in favour of ceasefire talks.
"The
(State) Department authorized the voluntary departure of non-emergency U.S. government
employees and family members of emergency and non-emergency employees from
Ethiopia due to armed conflict, civil unrest, and possible supply
shortages," the embassy said in a statement.
Police
had arrested "many people" in Addis Ababa since the government
declared a state of emergency on Tuesday, police spokesperson Fasika Fanta said
on Thursday.
Residents
told Reuters on Wednesday that many Tigrayans had been arrested, but Fasika
said arrests were not based on ethnicity.
"We
are only arresting those who are directly or indirectly supporting the illegal
terrorist group," he said. "This includes moral, financial and
propaganda support."
He
also said many people were registering weapons at police stations around the
city in line with a government directive issued on Tuesday for people to
prepare to defend their neighbourhoods.
"Some
are even coming with bombs and heavy weapons. We are registering those
too," he said.
The
streets and shops in Addis Ababa, a city of around five million people, were
busy as usual on Thursday morning, though some residents said there was a
feeling of uneasy calm.
"There
are rumors about the approach of the rebels. People debate about the conflict,
most of the people accuse the government for what happened," said one man,
who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Abiy's
government declared the state of emergency on Tuesday as the Tigrayan forces
threatened to push forward to Addis Ababa.
The
Tigrayan troops are in the town of Kemise in Amhara state, 325 km (200 miles)
from the capital, TPLF spokesman Getachew Reda, said on Wednesday.
Government
spokesperson Legesse Tulu did not respond to requests for comment.
Abiy's
spokesperson, Billene Seyoum, accused the international media of being
"overly alarmist" in its coverage of Ethiopia.
"Perpetuating
terrorist propaganda as truth from offices far off and detached from the ground
is highly unethical, she said in a tweet.
On
Wednesday, Britain urged its citizens to consider leaving Ethiopia while
commercial options were available.
The
conflict started a year ago when forces loyal to the TPLF, including some
soldiers, seized military bases in Tigray. In response, Abiy sent more troops
to the northern region.
The
TPLF had dominated national politics for nearly three decades but lost much
influence when Abiy took office in 2018 following years of anti-government
protests.
The
TPLF then accused him of centralising power at the expense of Ethiopia's
regional states - an accusation Abiy denies.
The
Tigrayan forces and their Oromo allies have made significant advances in the
past week. Spokesman Getachew on Wednesday pledged to minimise casualties in
their drive to take Addis Ababa.
"We
don't intend to shoot at civilians and we don't want bloodshed. If possible we
would like the process to be peaceful," he said.
A
regional analyst, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the TPLF was likely
to hold off on any advance on Addis Ababa until they secured the highway
running from neighbouring Djibouti to the capital.
That
requires seizing the town of Mille. Getachew said on Tuesday that Tigrayan
forces were closing in on Mille.
Ethiopian
military spokesman Colonel Getnet Adane did not immediately respond to a request
for comment.
By Reuters
0 Comments