Ethiopia’s government carries out air strikes against Tigray region

Ethiopia's PM Abiy Ahmed

Credit: Reuters

Ethiopia’s prime minister on Friday said his government has carried out airstrikes against the forces of the country’s well-armed Tigray region, asserting that strikes in multiple locations "completely destroyed rockets and other heavy weapons" and made it impossible for a retaliatory attack.

Abiy Ahmed’s evening announcement marked another escalation in clashes this week that experts say could slide one of Africa’s most powerful and populous countries into civil war.

There was no mention of casualties in what Mr Abiy called the "first round of operation" against the region’s government, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front. He said the air force destroyed heavy weapons in Tigray’s capital, Mekele, and surrounding areas, alleging the TPLF "has the desire to use them."

The operation will continue, Mr Abiy said, "until the junta is made accountable by law."

There was no immediate response from the Tigray government, while the region is increasingly boxed in by movement restrictions and a six-month state of emergency imposed by the federal government. 

Mr Abiy, who won the Nobel Peace Prize last year for his sweeping political reforms, defended the use of force this week after accusing the Tigray government of a deadly attack on a military base. 

Tigray regional map, Ethiopia

He asserted that months of patiently trying to resolve differences with the regional government — which dominated Ethiopia’s government before Mr Abiy took power in 2018 — have failed because of the leadership’s "criminal hubris and intransigence."

He also warned civilians to keep away from mass gatherings to avoid "collateral damage". 

Experts say civil war would be catastrophic and destabilizing for the Horn of Africa. It was not clear what mediation efforts might be underway; the African Union, based in Ethiopia, has not issued a statement. 

Aid groups warn a humanitarian disaster is in the making if fighting continues, with the COVID-19 pandemic one of several crises.

Communications remained almost completely cut off in Tigray. They disappeared around the time that Mr Abiy made his early Wednesday announcement.

The attack on a military base was "the last straw," Mr Abiy said Friday.

Ethiopia’s army has said it was deploying troops from around the country to Tigray. The Tigray leader has said "we are ready to be martyrs." Casualties have been reported on both sides.

It remains challenging to verify either side’s version of events.