Clashes Continue in Tigray, Ethiopian Army Calls for Conscription
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As clashes continue between the Ethiopian army and the Tigray People's Liberation Front, a US official will be heading to Ethiopia to demand a humanitarian corridor to Tigray.
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The Ethiopian army called for general mobilization amid intensified fighting
Violent confrontations broke out in Ethiopia between the Ethiopian National Defense Forces in the Tigray region.
The Ethiopian Army called for a general mobilization among fighters after the conflict intensified.
The defense forces announced that the Amhara forces allied with the federal forces on three fronts. At the same time, the Amhara region saw popular demonstrations in support of the army and against the rebels in the Tigray region.
A few days ago, Ethiopia revealed that it is mobilizing its forces in preparation for a confrontation with the Tigray People's Liberation Front in the north.
The Tigrayans are fleeing what they call a wave of ethnic violence hitting the far west of Ethiopia's Tigray region, while this fertile region is still held by soldiers and supporters of the federal Addis Ababa government.
The United States expressed its concern over reports indicating that the fighting is growing in the Tigray region, as the Ethiopian forces stated that they are ready to respond to any TPLF attacks.
The Ethiopian News Agency said deploying the regions' special forces is a step to deter the TPLF's "provocative actions" on the Amhara and Tigray borders.
Samantha Power, administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, will be visiting Ethiopia next week to press the government to lift what the US calls "a blockade on humanitarian aid to the conflict-hit Tigray region."
Power hopes to meet with Ethiopian officials in Addis Ababa to "press for unimpeded humanitarian access to prevent famine in Tigray and meet urgent needs in other conflict-affected regions of the country," according to a statement released by USAID.
According to the same statement, Administrator Samantha Power will travel to Sudan "to strengthen the U.S. Government's partnership with Sudan's transitional leaders and citizens, explore how to expand USAID's support for Sudan’s transition to a civilian-led democracy."
On Wednesday, the United Nations warned that the food rations, which came from the last humanitarian convoy that reached Mekele, the capital of Tigray, would only suffice until Friday.
On July 18, a World Food Programme convoy transporting aid to Tigray was attacked on the only humanitarian route into the conflict-hit region, which passes through Simera, the capital of the neighboring Afar region.
The United Nations reported that around 150 trucks filled with humanitarian aid, including foodstuffs, are stuck in Semera pending entry approval. The UN on Wednesday said 44 trucks are now trying to reach Tigray, warning against the exacerbation of famine.
Previously, in early July, the United Nations had warned that "more than 400,000 people in Ethiopia's crisis-wracked Tigray region are now facing the worst global famine in decades and 1.8 million are on the brink.
The Ethiopian authorities threatened to prevent aid from entering due to rebels re-assuming control over the region's capital.
