Fighters prepare to face paramilitaries from Amhara following withdrawal of federal troops from region
Insurgent forces in Tigray are mobilising for new conflict against militia from a neighbouring province in Ethiopia, with thousands of new volunteers joining their ranks after federal forces withdrew following more than eight months of war.
Ethiopian federal forces declared a unilateral ceasefire and pulled out of Mekelle, the capital of Tigray province, as well as dozens of other towns eight days ago.
Witnesses in Aksum and other cities in Tigray told the Guardian they have seen long convoys of troops loyal to the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) heading westwards, apparently redeploying to positions facing militia from neighbouring Amhara province.
The TPLF moved into Mekelle, a stronghold of the party, shortly after federal forces withdrew. At the weekend, the party, which dominated Ethiopian politics for decades before being sidelined since the prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, took power in 2018, paraded thousands of captured Ethiopian troops through the city.
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