Ethiopian PM says operations complete

ADDIS ABABA－Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said on Saturday the "full command" of the Tigray regional state capital, Mekelle, marks the completion of military operations by the Ethiopian National Defense Forces, or ENDF.

"The federal government is now fully in control of the city of Mekelle," Ahmed said, as he emphasized the "main operation" of the fighting between the Ethiopian army and forces loyal to the Tigray People's Liberation Front, or TPLF, "is now successfully concluded."

"With full command of the regional capital, this marks the completion of the ENDF's last phase. Federal police will now continue their task of apprehending TPLF criminals and bring them to the court," Ahmed said in a statement issued on Saturday.

Ahmed said the ENDF has thus far managed to secure the release of thousands of Northern Command officers held hostage by the TPLF, secure the Northern Command camp, and take control of the airport, public institutions, the regional administration office, and other critical facilities.

He also stressed the Ethiopian army undertook the operation "with precision and due care for citizens, ensuring civilians are not targeted."

Ahmed said the people of the Tigray region "have provided utmost support and cooperation to the Ethiopian National Defense Force in all corners."

Critical task of rebuilding

The prime minister also stressed that "we now have ahead of us the critical task of rebuilding what has been destroyed, repairing what is damaged, returning those who have fled, with utmost priority of returning normalcy to the people of the Tigray region."

"The federal government appreciates the concern shown by the international community," Ahmed said, as he called upon "friends of Ethiopia to join hands in rebuilding the Tigray region and giving its people the respite, humanitarian assistance and security they deserve."

The leader of the TPLF said however the group was not giving up.

The latest development came after the federal government on Thursday announced the commencement of the "third and final phase" of the military operations toward Mekelle city, capital of Tigray region, a city of more than 500,000 people where senior TPLF leaders are believed to be stationed.

The Ethiopian Defense Forces had earlier disclosed it had captured towns adjacent to Mekelle.

On Saturday, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the UN Refugee Agency, stressed that "concerns are growing for the safety of civilians inside the Tigray region of Ethiopia, particularly in and around the capital Mekelle that is home to 500,000 people."

The agency also stressed "there are reports of basic services coming to a halt while the security situation continues to deteriorate. It is feared the number of those internally displaced inside Tigray by the fighting as well as to other regions of Ethiopia is growing daily."

Xinhua - Agencies