Ethiopia to Tigray forces: 'Surrender peacefully' within 72 hours

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has given Tigrayan regional forces 72 hours to surrender before the military begins an offensive on the regional capital of Mekelle.
"We urge you to surrender peacefully within 72 hours, recognising that you simply are at the purpose of no return," Abiy said during a Twitter message on Sunday evening.Earlier on Sunday, Ethiopia's army said it plans to surround the rebel-held capital of Tigray region with tanks and should use artillery on the town to undertake to finish an almost three-week war, urging civilians to save themselves. The Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), which is refusing to surrender its rule of the northern region, said its forces were digging trenches and standing firm.
"The next phases are the decisive a part of the operation, which is to encircle Mekelle using tanks," military spokesman Colonel Dejene Tsegaye told Ethiopia Broadcasting Corporation.
"We want to send a message to the general public in Mekelle to save lots of yourselves from any artillery attacks and free yourselves from the junta ... then , there'll be no mercy."
The military said it's captured the town of Igada Hamus, some 97 kilometres from Tigray region's capital Mekelle.
PM Abiy rejects mediation
Prime Minister Abiy's federal troops have taken a string of towns during aerial bombardments and ground fighting, and are now aiming for Mekelle, a highland city of about 500,000 people where the rebels are based.
The war has killed hundreds, possibly thousands, sent quite 30,000 refugees into neighbouring Sudan, and seen rockets fired by rebels into neighbouring Amhara region and across the border into the nation of Eritrea.
Countries around Africa and Europe have urged a truce, but Abiy has thus far rebuffed that.
Ethiopian troops are facing heavy resistance and face a protracted "war of attrition" in Tigray, The Guardian newspaper reported on Saturday, citing a confidential UN assessment report.
The report said the conflict threatens to become "long and violent," destabilising one among Africa's most fragile regions.

 (With input from news agency language)

 

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