Ethiopia disputes reported Mekelle civilian deaths
A doctor in Ethiopia’s Tigray regional capital, Mekelle, says at least 27 people – including a 4-year-old, a 78-year-old and a family of four – have been killed in fighting between federal and regional troops, Reuters news agency reported on Sunday.
But a statement from Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s office on Monday says there have been no civilian casualties, and refers to Tigray regional forces as “the criminal clique”.
Reuters quotes the doctor it spoke to as saying medical services in Mekelle were strained, with no antibiotics and meals for patients and medics among other things.
The statement from Mr Abiy’s office on Monday says “the active phase of the operations has come to an end”, and the government is now “restoring law and order” while resettling those who’ve fled the region.
The prime minister insists that the regional forces had been defeated despite denials from the regional leaders.
Mr Abiy also said the Tigrayan forces that the military has been fighting for the last month do not have the capacity to mount a guerrilla war from the mountains in the northern region.
A spokesperson for the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) Getachew Reda told the BBC’s Focus on Africa on Friday that its forces will not surrender and that they “intentionally withdrew from Mekelle” instead of it being fought over.
Verifying information on the ground has been difficult because of a communications blackout in parts of the region.
