Ethiopia – Tigray region: upsurge of violence to anticipate following an attack led by the TPLF against a federal military base – Retaliation of the army expected, state of emergency declared – Vigilance required

In a statement issued 4 November, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed reported that a northern command base of the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) near Mekele had been attacked the day before by members of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF, ruling party in the region).

The same source reported that the ENDF had been ordered to carry out a military offensive against the TPLF.

According to media sources, telecommunications network and internet disruptions were observed in the Tigray region after Abiy Ahmed’s intervention.

Unconfirmed reports indicate that a Federal Army deployment has started.

We remind you that the Tigray region does not recognize the authority of the Federal authority anymore since the national elections have been reported. Tigray’s leaders decided to do elections in the region in September. Since then, uprising tensions have been observed between the federal State and the authority of Tigray, while both camps consider each other’s as not legitimate. This new tension illustrated today by armed offensive of both sides causing fears of a new armed conflict in the area. In this context, it is recommended to follow the local situation, and to postpone, if possible, all travels in this area.