Tigray People's Liberation Front takes control of Tigray capital

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The Tigray People's Liberation Front said that it forced the Ethiopian forces to flee Tuesday from Mek'ele, the capital of the Tigray region, which represents a major shift in the conflict that has been ongoing for the past eight months.

Residents of Mek'ele, which underwent a blackout on Monday, warmly welcomed the returning TPLF fighters. A video taken by one of the residents of the northern town of Shire showed similar scenes, and he said that the forces allied with the Eritrean forces withdrew.

The Tigray People's Liberation Front spokesman, Getachew Reda, told Reuters, "We are 100% in control of Mek'ele," adding, "there had been some fighting on the outskirts of the city, but that was now finished."

He also added, "Our forces are still in hot pursuit to south, east, to continue until every square inch of territory is cleared from the enemy," highlighting that "the ousted TPLF was re-establishing itself in Mekelle and people could walk about again in the streets, "adding that civilians can roam the streets once again."

"Reuters was unable to verify his comments because phone links to Mek'ele and the rest of Tigray were down," said the agency.

According to official media, the Ethiopian government announced Monday a 'unilateral' ceasefire in the Tigray region. At the same time, militants entered Mek'ele, the region's capital, amid celebrations in the city's streets.

The fighting in the northern Ethiopian region led to the death of thousands of people. Two million residents became homeless, while hundreds of thousands became on the brink of famine.

The United States said it is "committed to supporting efforts to resolve the crisis in Tigray," adding that Washington will be closely monitoring the situation.

Ambassador Robert Godec, the Acting Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of African Affairs, said that the United States would not stand idly in the face of the atrocities in Tigray.

Diplomats said the UN Security Council would discuss the situation in Tigray this week. However, it was not clear whether the other parties to the conflict would respect the unilateral ceasefire.

Ethiopia is awaiting the results of local and parliamentary elections in the regions, which were held on June 21. Elections were held in three of the country's ten provinces due to insecurity and logistical problems. Tigray was one of the provinces in which elections were not held.