A government official in Ethiopia's Tigray region has called on rebel fighters to disarm following recent clashes.
A new government official in Tigray now urges rebel forces to give up their weapons. This request follows recent instability in the northern Ethiopian region.
Also, a rebel commander recently told his fighters to keep resisting government forces. This order came even after the rebels lost control of their capital city, Mekelle.
Next, TPLF fighters retreated from Mekelle early in October. Government-backed forces entered the city to stop a rebel attempt to topple the national government.
After that, Ethiopia set up a six-month caretaker group to run Tigray. They plan to fix local services and help displaced people return home safely.
However, violence still plagues the area. Residents recently reported a deadly drone strike that killed four people near a truck.
Meanwhile, senior official Redae Halefom Woldeselassie claims the rebel movement is failing. He told fighters to stop the conflict and return to normal civilian lives.
Still, the rebel commander, Lieutenant General Fisseha Kidanu, disagrees with this view. He promised to fight back against recent military losses in a television broadcast.
Furthermore, he asked local volunteers and militias to attack government positions. He wants them to keep fighting despite the government's access to heavy weapons.
Then, Redae explained that security forces are working to prevent looting across the region. He also promised to help displaced residents return to their homes eventually.
Finally, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed accused the TPLF of forcing young people to fight. He said this violates the peace agreement signed in 2022.
As a result, the new fighting effectively breaks the previous peace deal. That long conflict once caused massive loss of life and widespread famine.