The conflict continues in Tigray, in the north of the country. Violence is daily. Some places have even been completely abandoned. A few tens of kilometers from Mekelle, the capital of Tigray, the village of Metsa Worke has been completely emptied of its inhabitants. Reportage.
With our special correspondent in Tigray, Sebastien nemeth
Metsa Worke is a ghost town. The stone houses on the slope are empty, the shutters are closed and if certain regions of Tigray are shaken by the noise of battle, silence reigns here. Only two women, their children and some animals still live there. Mariam tells what happened.
“Ethiopian soldiers arrived in October. They were looking for rebels. They took people to the mountains. Some have had their throats cut. Others were shot in the head. There were 50 deaths. On January 15, it was the turn of the Eritreans. They plundered everything. They asked us to undress to humiliate us. Everyone fled. There were about 500 inhabitants. It’s just the two of us. ”
His comrade in an accident, Zenab, explains that he also tried to leave before giving up.
“I tried to go to the nearest village, but there was no protection, so I came back here. This is our home, we have nowhere to go. So we always have food in a bag if the soldiers come back. So we can go with some provisions to survive. But as soon as soldiers approach, friends from nearby towns call us and we flee. “
The case of Metsa Worke is not isolated and the phenomenon of ghost towns should continue with the Tigrayans fleeing to the cities where camps for displaced persons are located.
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