CIVIL WAR

Ethiopia conflict deepens as Tigray leaders sacked

PM Abiy Ahmed said airstrikes been carried out on military targets in Tigray.

In Summary

• In an emergency session, parliament declared the Tigray administration illegal and voted to replace it.

• On Friday, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said airstrikes had been carried out on military targets in Tigray.

These Tigray special forces seized a national army base earlier this week
These Tigray special forces seized a national army base earlier this week
Image: BBC

Ethiopia's parliament has voted to dissolve the government of the northern Tigray region, amid a dispute which has escalated into armed conflict.

In an emergency session, parliament declared the Tigray administration illegal and voted to replace it.

On Friday, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said airstrikes had been carried out on military targets in Tigray.

There are fears the conflict could lead to civil war, which could also destabilise neighboring countries.

The leaders of Tigray dominated Ethiopia for many years until  Abiy came to power in 2018 on the back of anti-government protests and curbed their influence.

They say they have been unfairly targeted by purges and allegations of corruption, and say Abiy is an illegitimate leader because his mandate ran out when he postponed elections due to coronavirus.

The UN has called for a "de-escalation in the fighting".

What did parliament say?

The House of Federation - one of Ethiopia's parliamentary chambers - said the Tigray leadership had "violated the constitution and endangered the constitutional system", according to the state-owned broadcaster EBC.

It said a new caretaker administration would hold elections and "implement decisions passed on by the federal government".

The simmering row boiled over in September after Tigray's ruling party, the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), defied the nationwide ban on elections, and held a vote which was declared illegal by the central government.

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