Ethiopia declared a “unilateral ceasefire” in Tigray, as rebels claimed retaking the regional capital of Mekelle.
In a statement, Addis Ababa said it was pausing hostilities to prevent disruptions to the farming season and to allow the distribution of humanitarian aid.
The United Nations has called for an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council to discuss the situation in the country.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres considered these events “extremely worrying”.
The United States, Ireland and the United Kingdom called for an emergency public meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Tigray, diplomatic sources said, adding that it could be held Friday.
Mekelle fell to the federal army on November 28, three weeks after Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed launched an offensive after the region’s forces attacked and killed federal troops.
Despite the victory proclaimed after the fall of Mekelle, the fighting never stopped between the pro-Tigray Peoples Liberation Front forces – and the federal Ethiopian army.
The rebels launched an offensive last week, just as much of the rest of the country was holding highly anticipated national elections, the results of which have not yet been announced.
