Ethiopian PM Orders Troops to Advance Towards Tigray Capital

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed ordered his troops to advance towards Tigray's Capital Mikkeli after his 72-hour ultimatum for Tigray leaders to surrender ended, according to AFP.

In a statement, he also warned residents to stay indoors and disarm.

It is worth mentioning that, Abiy issued a statement on Wednesday calling on the international community not to interfere in the internal affairs of Ethiopia, in the light of the international calls to stop the bloodshed in the Tigray region.

In a strong message to the international community, the Ethiopian Prime Minister said that Ethiopia is able to deal with its own internal affairs, rejecting any external interference, hours after the United Nations demanded an end to the conflict in Tigray.

Earlier, the Ethiopian army threatened to use ‘tanks’ to capture Mikkeli city, the capital of the Tigray region, from Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) forces, according to Sky News.

Moreover, It warned civilians that it may also fire artillery shells on the city.

In televised statements, Ethiopia’s government military forces spokesman Colonel Dejene Tsegaye said: “The next phases are the decisive part of the operation, which is to encircle MikKeli using tanks, finishing the battle on mountainous areas and advancing to the fields.”