Tigray administration urges rebels to lay down arms — Al Jazeera
Redae Galefom Woldeselassie, a representative of the new interim administration of Tigray in Ethiopia, called on rebels to lay down their arms and return to peaceful life. The statement came after forces allied with the Ethiopian government took control of Mekelle, the capital of the Tigray region.
“Now is not the time to settle scores — I urge you to return to your homes and continue civilian life,” Woldeselassie said in Mekelle, Al Jazeera reports. He said that rebel forces were weakening and ruled out the possibility of them regaining control of the city.
Call to continue resistance
Several hours earlier, Lieutenant General Fisseha Kidanu, who was described on television as the commander of the Tigrayan army, stated his intention to continue the fighting. In an address on the new rebel television channel Tigray Broadcast Media, he said that Tigray “is still at war” and called on local militias and volunteers to join the resistance. His location was not disclosed.
Kidanu called for attacks on positions held by government forces, despite the advantage of forces allied with the Ethiopian authorities in drones and heavy weaponry. The Tigray People's Liberation Front also claimed that government forces had suffered significant losses, but The Associated Press was unable to independently verify these claims.
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Interim administration and fighting
Fighters of the Tigray People's Liberation Front left Mekelle in early October after government-allied formations entered the city. Ethiopia's authorities subsequently established a six-month interim administration in the region, which is to restore services, facilitate the return of displaced residents, and prepare elections.
At the same time, fighting in the region continues. Residents of Mekelle reported a drone strike on Tuesday: according to them, four people were killed and another six were injured while loading goats onto a truck. These reports have not been independently confirmed.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed had previously accused the Tigray People's Liberation Front of forcibly recruiting young people instead of disarming as stipulated by the peace agreement concluded in Pretoria in November 2022. The resumption of fighting has effectively destroyed that agreement, which ended the 2020–2022 war in Tigray.
