The Ethiopian military and federal forces have launched a nationwide manhunt to capture the leaders of Tigray's ruling party. The efforts to capture the heads of the regional groups come after federal forces had successfully taken over the Tigray capital city of Mekelle over the weekend.
Humanitarian organization present during the massive raid said that the city fell to federal forces with little resistance on Saturday. However, local hospitals were still reportedly swamped with injured fighters from both sides.
The attack on the city came after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's deadline for the unconditional surrender of the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) expired late last week. Instead of standing their ground as TPLF leaders had promised, fighters reportedly withdrew as federal forces marched into the city with tanks and a hail of aerial artillery.
TPLF leader, Debretsion Gebremichael, mentioned in a statement that the fight for the region's independence is far from over. He said his people are still willing to die for their homes.
"Their brutality can only add [to] our resolve to fight these invaders to the last... This is about defending our right to self-determination," Gebremichael said.
The occupation of Mekelle by federal forces and the retreat of TPLF forces from the area have been seen as a personal victory for Abiy and his administration. However, experts warned that the government could still be facing years of insurgency in the region if the groups' leaders are not captured.
Ethiopian authorities have issued arrest warrants for 134 senior military and government officials connected to the TPLF, some of which have been charged with crimes such as embezzlement and treason.
The true situation in the Tigray region remains unclear as the nationwide communications blackout is still in effect. Reports of Tigray forces attacking the capital of Eritrea had emerged on Saturday. Further unconfirmed reports also emerged of explosions inside the U.S. embassy in Asmara on Sunday.
Since Abiy launched his assault to finally take down the TPLF more than three weeks ago, thousands of soldiers and civilians have reportedly been killed and many more displaced. Tens of thousands have fled to neighboring countries, creating an unprecedented humanitarian crisis.
