Ethiopian Crisis: President Sahlework visits troubled Tigray state
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (PANA) - Ethiopia's President Sahlework Zewdie on Sunday arrived in Mekelle, the capital of the troubled Tigray State, where the UN has led a chorus of concerns about the humanitarian situation and suffering following fighting between federal government forces and the former regional government, Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF).
The state-owned Ethiopian News Agency (ENA) reported that during President Sahlework's stay in Mekelle, she will visit internally displaced communities from various parts of the state.
She will also visit hospitals in the city and hold discussions with elders of Mekelle.
There have been concerns that hundreds of thousands of people are in need of humanitarian assistance in the state.
The Ethiopian military launched an offensive against the Tigray regional administration on 4 November after the armed forces under the command of the former Tigray state administration launched an offensive against federal government forces.
Although the Ethiopian government says the operation is over, with many of the TPLF leaders arrested or killed, the TPLF says fighting is continuing.
The United Nations Secretary-General last week voiced grave concerns over the crisis in Tigray region and underscored the need for urgent efforts to protect populations at risk.
A statement issued by his spokesperson said Secretary-General Antonio Guterres remained “seriously concerned” over the situation in the state.
US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken last Thursday spoke with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and also expressed "grave concern" about the humanitarian crisis in the state.
He urged "immediate, full, and unhindered humanitarian access to prevent further loss of life".
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, during a visit to Ethiopia, described the situation in Tigray as “extremely grave”.
“People need all possible forms of support: food items, non-food items, medicine, clean water, shelter [and] the closure of the banking system, of the telecommunication system has added to the hardship of thousands of people,” he said.
Mr. Grandi said that though “some progress” in the security situation was reported by the Government, “isolated or scattered incidents continue to happen … and in some areas we continue to observe, violence carried out by various armed elements and militias, but also as often is the case in these military situations, by criminal elements and this has resulted in looting, in violence, sexual violence, in rape”.
Ethiopia has denied, meanwhile, claims by three opposition parties that some 52,000 people have been killed in the fighting between the Ethiopian Defence Force and troops loyal to the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF).
Three opposition parties in Tigray region had claimed that Ethiopian and Eritrean soldiers were carrying out widespread atrocities, but the Ethiopian Government in a statement denied the claims saying they are politically motivated.
Ethiopian News Agency (ENA) quoted the statement as saying that "reports of assessment of civilian casualties being circulated in various international media outlets are unsubstantiated and suffer from unfortunate political motives".
-0- PANA MA 7Feb2021
