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Rebel Forces Launch New Offensive in Ethiopia's Tigray Region

Agence France-Presse

   GONDAR, ETHIOPIA - Rebel forces have launched a new offensive in
   Ethiopia's Tigray region, a rebelspokesmantold AFP on Tuesday, two
   weeks afteran initialoffensive that prompted the government to declare
   a cease-fire.

   "Yesterday, we launched an offensive in the Raya region (southern
   Tigray),and wemanaged to rout the divisions of the Federal Defense
   Forces and the Amhara forces,"Getachew Reda told AFP by telephone.

   Getachew also said rebel fighters were still"on the trail"of
   pro-government forces on Tuesday.

   "We have succeeded in securing the majority of southern Tigray,"he
   added, specifyinginparticular controllingAlamata, the main town in this
   area and where he claimed to be.

   A spokesmanfor the federal army was notimmediatelyreachable, and it was
   impossible to verify Getachew's claims, as communication networks were
   practically cut off in the region.

   On November 4,Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed launched a military operation
   in this northern region of the country to disarm and capture the
   dissident local authorities from the Tigray People's Liberation
   FrontortheTPLF.

   At the end of November, after the capture of the regional capital
   Mekelle, the government proclaimed victory. But the fighting continued
   for eight months.

   At the end of June, the army withdrew in the face of a lightning
   advance by pro-TPLF troops, who recaptured Mekelle on the 28th, as well
   as a majority of Tigrayinthe followingdays.

   In the process, Addis Ababa declared a cease-fire and withdrew the
   army.

   The rebels'Monday offensive concerns the southern and western areas of
   Tigray, which were still controlled by Amhara forces, who came to
   support the federal army inthis conflict marked by atrocities and the
   growing specter of famine.

   "We promised to free every square inch of Tigray,"Getachewsaid.

   He also said that fighting was underway in the west of the region,
   without specifyingexactlywhere inanareaalongon the borders of Ethiopia,
   Eritrea and Sudan.

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