Ethiopia PM Ahmed rejects international interference
Ethiopia has asked the international community to refrain from "unwelcome and unlawful acts of interference" in its internal affairs following calls to stop the conflict in the northern Tigray region.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has described the military
offensive as a "law-enforcement operation".
His ultimate deadline to Tigray forces to surrender will
lapse on Wednesday.
Many people have reportedly been killed and thousands have unfortunately
been forced from their homes.
Aid groups fear the battle could trigger a serious
humanitarian crisis and may destabilize the Horn of Africa region.
The UN has stated that it was alarmed by the threat of serious
hostilities if the Ethiopian army advanced on Tigray's capital, Mekelle, which home
to nearly 500,000 people.
In an official statement released on Wednesday morning, Mr
Abiy announced that when it came to outside help "the international
community should stand by until the government of Ethiopia submits its requests
for assistance".
On Tuesday, a UN Security Council meeting to discuss the conflict
in Tigray was concluded without a statement, with many African countries
reportedly requesting additional time to allow for diplomatic efforts by the
African Union to proceed.
Meanwhile, the EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell had a
meeting with Ethiopia's foreign minister in order to discuss the conflict.
"I expressed my great concern regarding increasing
ethnic-targeted violence, numerous casualties and violations of human rights
and of international humanitarian law," Mr Borrell remarked following
their Tuesday meeting.
On Sunday, Mr Abiy delivered a 72-hour ultimatum to Tigray's
forces, asking them to surrender as they were "at a point of no
return".
However, Tigray's forces have promised to keep fighting,
with their leader Debretsion Gebremichael stating that they are "ready to
die in defence of our right to administer our region".
Meanwhile, Ethiopia's state-appointed Human Rights
Commission has recently accused a youth group from the Tigray region of being responsible
for a massacre earlier this month in which it claims over 600 civilians were
killed.
The commission has stated that the group stabbed and burned
to death non-Tigrayan residents and civilians of the town of Mai-Kadra with the
collusion of some local forces.
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