Ethiopia: air strike on the capital of the rebel region of Tigray

Rebel authorities in the Tigray region accused the Ethiopian army of carrying out an airstrike on their capital Mekele on Tuesday, two days after opening the door to a ceasefire and peace talks.

According to an official at Ayder Hospital, the principal of Mekele, at least one person was injured in an early morning drone strike.

“

,” Kibrom Gebreselassie wrote on Twitter.

The Ethiopian government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has not responded to these accusations.

AFP could not verify them independently, access to this region at war since November 2020 being closed.

"Negotiations"

The rebel authorities from the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) claimed that drones "

" Mekele University, causing injuries and material damage.

This strike “

,” said Kindeya Gebrehiwot, a spokesperson for the TPLF.

The TPLF-linked television channel Dimtsi Woyane claimed that its premises were also affected, interrupting its broadcast and "

".

The Tigrayan capital has been targeted by several airstrikes since the resumption of fighting on August 24 in northern Ethiopia, which shattered a five-month truce.

Both sides reject responsibility for the resumption of hostilities.

“Opportunity” for peace

This return to violence has darkened the slim hopes of a negotiated peace.

Fighting is taking place in the south, west and north of Tigray.

The rebels accuse in particular the Ethiopian and Eritrean armies of having launched an offensive from Eritrea, a country which borders the north of Tigray and has already lent a hand to the federal forces during the first phase of the conflict.

The resumption of hostilities has also completely interrupted the road and air transport of humanitarian aid in the Tigray region and its neighbors of Amhara and Afar which are plunged into hunger, according to the UN.

Read alsoWater wars: in Ethiopia, the dam of discord

In a statement on Sunday, the Tigrayan authorities said they were ready "

" (AU).

They had so far always rejected the mediation of the AU special envoy, former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, denouncing his "

" to Abiy Ahmed.

“Opportunity” for peace

They also indicated that they were ready for an "

" and had a team of negotiators "

".

The Ethiopian government, which has always advocated mediation led by the AU, did not react to the announcement by the Tigrayan authorities.

The international community has unanimously urged the belligerents to seize this “

” for peace.

Read alsoThe border between Ethiopia and Eritrea is gradually coming back to life

"

," White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Monday.

"

”.

Devastating conflict

The toll of this deadly conflict is unknown.

It was marked by abuses on civilians committed by both sides, caused the displacement of more than two million people and plunged hundreds of thousands of Ethiopians into near-famine conditions, according to the UN.

In March, the UN said that at least 304 civilians had been killed in the previous three months in airstrikes "

".

The government claims to only target military targets and accuses the TPLF of staging the deaths of civilians.

Read alsoIn Ethiopia, the rebels retreat to Tigray

The conflict in northern Ethiopia erupted in November 2020, when Abiy Ahmed sent the federal army to Tigray to dislodge dissident authorities from the region, accusing them of attacking military bases.

Initially defeated, rebel forces regained control of most of the region during 2021, in a counter-offensive that spilled over into Amhara and Afar.

They then retreated towards Tigray.