At least 19 people die after a new drone attack against civilians in Tigré

At least 19 people died this Monday in a bombardment in the Ethiopian region of Tigré, in conflict with the country's central government since November 2020, humanitarian sources confirmed today to international agencies.

"Heavy fighting has been taking place in the Mai Tsebri area (western Tigré) for the last few weeks and yesterday there was a drone attack," an aid worker told Efe -on condition of anonymity for security reasons- based on in the testimonies provided by their colleagues on the ground.

Two bombardments hit the town, according to this source: the first, against a private flour mill, killing nine people, and the second, against a technical school, largely destroying the facilities and killing eight people.

Biden on the phone

The bombing, which the aid worker did not attribute to any particular side, occurred on the same day that the Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed had a telephone conversation with the President of the United States, Joe Biden, in which they discussed the war in Tigre.

According to a statement issued by the White House, both leaders spoke Monday about how to "accelerate" the path to a negotiated ceasefire in Ethiopia and Biden "expressed his concern that continued hostilities, including recent airstrikes, continue to cause victims and suffering among civilians".

About a building with displaced people

Friday's attack killed 50 civilians

Last Friday, at least 59 people -among them twelve boys and girls- died in another bombardment against a school converted into a camp for displaced persons in the town of Dedebit (central region), as confirmed to Efe by the Office of the UN for the Coordination of Humanitarian Aid (UNOCHA) from the testimonies of local medical workers.

Efe was unable to verify this information due to the telecommunications blockade that the northern region has suffered since the beginning of the conflict.

At least 59 people die in an airstrike on a refugee camp in Tigrah

The bombing of Dedebit on the one hand and the lack of fuel on the other They have led some organizations to suspend their activities in that area of ​​Tigré, humanitarian sources confirmed to Efe.

The armed conflict and the lack of fuel block some humanitarian actions

The war broke out on November 4, 2020, when the federal government ordered an offensive against the Popular Front for the Liberation of Tigre (PFLT) -political party that governed the region- in retaliation for an attack against a federal military base and after an escalation of political tensions.

Since the end of October 2021, the PFLT managed to advance its positions to the south and threatened to march on Addis Ababa, which is also the headquarters of the African Union.

Fear that rebels could attack the capital of Ethiopia - Africa's second most populous country and an important Western ally in the region - encouraged diplomatic efforts by the international community to achieve a negotiated solution.

However, the momentum of the PFLT seems to have evaporated -at the end of December it announced the withdrawal of its troops to Tigré- and the tables have turned in favor of the government troops, while a political solution to the conflict remains in sight.

Last Friday

The Ethiopian Executive granted amnesty to a dozen opposition political prisoners

This Friday, the same day that the attack in Dedebit took place, the Ethiopian Executive granted amnesty to a dozen opposition political prisoners, including leaders of the PFLT, which has aroused criticism from some political parties.

According to the UN, some 5.2 million people need humanitarian aid in Tigrah and the neighboring Amhara and Afar regions, where the conflict spread in July.

Also, around two million people have had to leave their homes due to violence.