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An airstrike in the northern province of Ethiopia reportedly left dozens dead and injured on Tuesday (June 22). The region is in the grip of a bloody conflict between the federal power, aided by the Eritrean army, and the former power in Tigray was now transformed into an armed group. The war left thousands dead there.
as reported from Nairobi, Sebastien nemeth
On Tuesday, the village of Togoga, about 30 miles west of Mekele, the regional capital, was hit by one or more bombs. The still unsafe road would be heavy. The Ethiopian Federal Army has acknowledged that airstrikes are part of its military tactics. But she vehemently denied being behind the Togolese attack.
Federal forces prevent aid from passing
However, according to several sources, it is his soldiers who continue to prevent aid from arriving on the scene. Since Tuesday, ambulances have repeatedly tried to reach the site of the tragedy. Without success “We try to come forward in every way. But the soldiers accuse the victims of being rebels and they suspect that we support TPLF, says a doctor from Mekele Hospital. The largest health center in Tigray sent eight emergency vehicles, but only two were able to cross the barriers. “Every hour counts. It is an unacceptable and absurd situation, while the victims are ordinary civilians, “a medical source indicated.
Some witnesses described soldiers firing at least one ambulance. A child is said to have died in an emergency vehicle after being blocked for hours by an ENDF barrier.
The situation is all the more complicated because a large proportion of the hospitals have been seriously affected by the war. According to experts, 70% of the health centers in Tigray have been looted, 30% damaged. Only 16% would be functional. The means are therefore very limited and the victims have to be transported over long distances to take care of them.
The European Union said on Wednesday night that it was extremely concerned about this bombing, which speaks of an attack on top of “the terrible violations of human rights combined with the serious allegations of the use of starvation and sexual violence as a weapon of war. “The European Union condemns deliberate attacks on civilians. The protection of Ethiopian territory cannot be used as a justification for these actions. The measures will be discussed at the next European Union Foreign Ministers’ Summit in July.
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