Ethiopia’s government and the party in control of the northern region of Tigray have traded accusation of launching offensives, escalating fears of a return to full-scale conflict.
Getachew Reda, a cabinet minister and adviser to Ethiopia’s prime minister, said Tigrayan fighters had taken control of federally administered airports in Tigray and launched offensives in neighbouring Afar and Amhara regions.
Speaking at the UN General Assembly, Ethiopian President Taye Astike Selassie said his country had shown immense restraint in its actions despite interference in the internal affairs by adversarial elements, without specifying who those elements were.
Following the seizure of the airports, Ethiopian Airlines has cancelled all flights to Tigray. The chairperson of the Africa Union Commission, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, has called for an immediate de-escalation and for both sides to resume talks.
