Ethiopia’s war still churns, but relief aid coming

REUTERS, 03RD DECEMBER, 2020-  Relief agencies in Ethiopia prepared convoys on Thursday to truck aid into Tigray region, where clashes were still reported in a month of war that may have killed thousands and has sent refugees fleeing to Sudan along corpse-strewn roads.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed declared victory over the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) after federal forces captured the regional capital Mekelle at the weekend.

However, TPLF leaders have dug into surrounding mountains in what appears to be an emerging guerrilla strategy. One aid worker in touch with Tigray told Reuters that fighting continued to the north, south and west of the highland city of 500,000 people.

Diplomats following the crisis and in touch with sources on all sides say thousands of combatants and civilians appear to have died since Abiy’s offensive began on Nov. 4 after a TPLF attack on a military base was the last straw in their feud. More than 45,000 refugees have crossed into neighbouring Sudan, while many more have been displaced within Tigray.

Reuters has been unable to verify claims from all sides as access to the northern Tigray region has been largely blocked and communications mainly down, although internet and phone services were returning to some towns this week.