The northern province has been bloodied since November by a conflict that opposes the federal power in Addis Ababa, backed by the Eritrean army and militias of the Amhara ethnic group, and turned the former TPLF power into an armed group. . For a week now, the TPLF launched the offensive and took back a large majority of Tigray. The humanitarian situation is extremely difficult and many suspect Addis Ababa of trying to block Tigray.
With our regional correspondent in Nairobi, Sebastien nemeth
A symbol revealed this Thursday, July 1, may illustrate this blocking strategy: it is the destruction of the Tekeze Bridge, which spans the river of the same name and connects Tigray to Gondar in the Amhara zone. It is a strategic supply route through which a large part of humanitarian aid passed. A development that is very worrying. The US Development Agency calls it a “disaster”. Researcher Kjetil Tronvoll sees this as “new evidence of an attempt to starve the Tigrayans.”
This bridge marked the border with the west of the Tigray conquered by the Amharas. In its report, however, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) claims that it was sabotaged by the ASF, the regional special forces in Amhara. The spokesman for the Amhara region has promised an investigation.
In addition, there is the power outage, the internet outage, the telephones interrupted. Flights to Tigray are also suspended. According to Ocha, there are no crossing routes on several routes and USAID administrator Samantha Power says that only one of the four main roads to Tigray is now available.
Implementation of food aid
At Friday dinner, however, the World Food Program announced that the organization had been able to resume aid after a 48-hour shutdown. Especially in northwest Tigray where WFP hopes to reach 40,000 people by Monday. Emergency coordinator Tommy Thomson says he is “reasonably optimistic” about the upcoming establishment of an aviation industry. In any case, he said, “people are dead, dying and will die again if we do not give help.”
At the military level, according to the UN, TPLF took over the capitals of the province in a few days: Mekele, the capital, but also Shire, Axum, Adwa, Adigrat. Terraced in the countryside and in the mountains for several months, the rebels now control important roads and cities.
According to Ocha, the federal troops have withdrawn to the south and west around Mai-Tsebri, Korarit or the Eritrean border where Asmara’s forces have been partially regrouped. Last I heard, they were still on the Ethiopian side of the line.
Finally, the Amhara militia, which, thanks to the conflict, expanded its control over southern and western Tigray, is currently in its position. The UN is provoking possible clashes and ambush in various places. WFP talked about continuing to fight in specific areas, but the overall situation is considered fairly calm, albeit very volatile by Ocha.
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