Situation in Tigray (per 15 September)

  • TDF commander Tadesse Worede gave a press statement on Tigrai TV, a Tigrayan government broadcaster, on 13 September. His claims cannot be verified.
  • He stated that the TDF is holding the front. He added that the TDF could have advanced, but decided against it for strategic reasons. He also said that the TDF is coordinating with the OLA, and he believes that the OLA is in a position to capture larger Ethiopian cities. 
  • Tadesse admitted that the Tigrayan towns of Shiraro  and Ademiti were  captured by Eritrean & ENDF forces. He does however also claim that the advance has been halted.
  • General Tadesse asserts that 70.000 ENDF troops crossed the Tekeze river around the Dedebit area but were halted. 
  • Tadesse indicated that the TDF is attempting to avoid fights with Amhara and Afar militias.
  • Sources indicate that there is a general mobilisation in Eritrea. Eritreans up to the age of 55 have until tomorrow to register in the army.
  • The chief executive director of Ayder Hospital, Dr Kibrom Gebreselassie, said the death toll from the 13 and 14 September drone strikes had risen to 12, as two patients died of their injuries.
  • The UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric says tens of thousands of people have reportedly been displaced in parts of Tigray, Afar and Amhara since hostilities resumed at the end of August.
  • Dujarric said humanitarian convoys into the Tigray region remain suspended, as are UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) flights between Addis Ababa and Mekele. The suspension of UNHAS affects the rotation of humanitarian workers and transfer of cash for humanitarian operations.
  • The Global Society of Tigray Scholars and Professionals (GSTS) asked the African Union (AU) to appoint a neutral mediator, who is acceptable to all parties to lead peace talks.
  • In a statement, GSTS objected to the AU’s decision to extend the mandate of H.E. Chief Olusegun Obasanjo as a mediator to the ongoing crisis in Ethiopia.

Situation in Ethiopia (per 15 September)

  • The Addis Ababa City Peace and Security Administration Bureau appointed Lydia Girma as the new Head of Office, replacing Kenea Yadeta. During the introduction meeting, she declared the office would strive to make peace and security more reliable.
  • Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed met on 15 September with the Africa head of the Qatar Investment Authority, H.E. Sheikh Faisal Bin Thani Al-Thani. The Office of the Prime Minister says they discussed potential investment opportunities in Ethiopia.

Regional Situation (per 15 September)

  • South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir and Kenya’s newly elected President William Ruto met in Nairobi to discuss cooperation between the two countries. 
  • The UN estimates that more than 20 million people are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance in the Horn, mainly in Ethiopia and Somalia. 
  • Famine is already occurring in parts of Somalia according to humanitarian workers, and meteorologists are predicting a fifth rainless season ahead. Aid workers begin to find evidence of starvation deaths.
  • 53 Sudanese civil society organisations are calling on the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to condemn violations of women’s rights, following the stoning to death of a woman for adultery. 
  • Zambian immigration authorities have deported 44 irregular migrants to Ethiopia, one of whom died at the airport on 12 September. 

International Situation (per 15 September)

  • In a statement released on 14 September, the European Union (EU) expressed disappointment about the airstrikes on Mekelle on 13 and 14 September. They  “endanger, once again, the very fragile hope for peace in Ethiopia”.
  • The EU also accused Eritrea of impeding ongoing efforts towards peace in Ethiopia. The EU  added that “Peace talks are the only way forward. No time should be lost in making the new Ethiopian year a peaceful one”.
  • The World Health Organization (WHO) Chief Dr Tedros Adhanom condemned the recent aerial attacks on civilians in Mekelle of Tigray. He also urged the Ethiopian and Eritrean governments to work for peace and end the siege on the Tigray region.

Links of interest

Twitter: Kibrom Gebreselassie

Tadesse Worede press statement

Twitter: UN Spokesperson 

Twitter: Statement by the Global Society of Tigray Scholars and Professionals (GSTS)

Statement by the Spokesperson on the latest developments: The EU

Twitter: Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

#ASDailyScoop: Addis Abeba City Peace and Security Bureau gets new chief

More than 20 million at risk as famine emerges in Horn of Africa

Civil society groups call on condemn violation of women rights in Sudan

Twitter: Office of the Prime Minister – Ethiopia

Zambia deports 44 Ethiopian irregular immigrants; one immigrant dies at airport

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