Ethiopia warns Tigray of ‘law enforcement’

ADDIS ABABA: Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed warned yesterday that a threeday deadline for rebel regional forces to surrender had expired, paving the way for a final push on Mekelle, the capital of the northern region of Tigray.

Tigrayan forces fired rockets into the neighbouring nation of Eritrea at the weekend, escalating a conflict in which hundreds of people have been killed on both sides.

The conflict threatens to destabilise other parts of Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa. More than 25,000 refugees have fled into Sudan.

The prime minister's warning came after government forces carried out ``precisionled and surgical air operations'' outside Makelle, a government emergency task force said, and ground forces pushed forwards.

``The threeday ultimatum given to Tigray Special Forces and the militia to surrender to the national defence . . . have ended today,'' Abiy said in a statement posted on Facebook.

``Following the expiration of this deadline, the final critical act of law enforcement will be done in the coming days.''

There was no immediate comment from Tigray's leaders.

The strikes were based on ``information received of specific critical TPLF [Tigray's ruling party] targets’’, the task force said, adding that no civilian targets were attacked.

Tigrayan leaders had accused the Government of targeting a sugar factory and a dam.— Reuters