Tigray Conflict Escalates, Gov't Rejects External Mediation

Ethiopian authorities confirmed on Monday the occupation of a town in the northern Tigray region following two weeks of armed conflict that has forced thousands of civilians to escape to neighboring Sudan.

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The Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) reported via Twitter that is carrying out "precision targets attacks on the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) weapon depots with no targeting of civilians populations and locations."

On the other hand, the TPLF leader Debretsion Gebremichael assured that his forces had fired three missiles upon Asmara's airport in the Eritrean capital on Saturday night, which marks an international escalation of the conflict in the so-called horn of Africa.

Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has rejected the ceasefire petition from the United Nations and the Pope. In a statement on November 15, the government said that the country "reaffirms his capability to resolve and manage its own rule of law operation without any external intervention."

On Sunday, the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) reported that more than 20.000 out of the 5 million Tigray's inhabitants have escaped to Sudan, fearing for their lives.

There have been reports of mass killings as well as the major deployment of TPLF forces. Nonetheless, the Internet and road access remain cut off in the Tigray region, making it challenging to verify both parties' claims. Tigray has been under a national state of emergency since November 4, when the confrontations began.