Ethiopian Forces Battle Tigrayans as Refugees Head to Sudan

Ethiopian government troops were reported to have captured an airport in northern Ethiopia from Tigrayan forces on Tuesday.

State media said federal forces had captured the airport, near the border with Sudan and Eritrea, as well as a road leading from the town of Humera. Reuters news agency says information from the area was difficult to confirm because all communications are cut.

The Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) governs Ethiopia's Tigray Region, which is home to 5 million people. The TPLF did not comment on the reports.

Last week, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed ordered airstrikes and sent troops into Tigray. He had earlier accused the TPLF of attacking a federal military base.

Tigrayans say Abiy's government oppresses and discriminates¹ against them.

The African Union (AU) has called for peace talks and an end to the fighting.

The Ethiopian government said talks were only possible if Tigrayan leaders were arrested and all weapons held by the Tirgayans destroyed. It also has called for the release of federal officials detained in the area.

About 2,500 Ethiopians have fled the fighting into neighboring Sudan. The number of refugees is expected to increase, a Sudanese official noted².

"The number is increasing," said Alsir Khaled. He is a refugee commission official in the Sudanese state of Kassala. "These people need shelter and medical treatment and food and there is a great shortage."

The 44-year-old Abiy is Africa's youngest leader. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019 for democratic reforms and for making peace with Eritrea, Ethiopia's longtime enemy.

But the military operation against Tigray has worried diplomats³. Some fear the country could fall into civil war given the deep hatred⁴ between the Tigrayans and the prime minister.

A war could further damage the economy, which has already been badly hurt by the coronavirus crisis.

Abiy is a former soldier who once fought alongside Tigrayans against Eritrea. He became prime minister in 2018.

Abiy has opened the country's formerly⁵ oppressive government and political system. But that has led to a large increase in ethnic⁶ problems. Hundreds of Ethiopians have fled their homes for fear of ethnic violence over the past two years.

Possible escalation⁷

In a possible escalation, Tigray leader Debretsion Gebremichael said the Eritrean government sent troops across the border. The Eritrean forces were said to have attacked Tigrayan soldiers in support of Ethiopian federal troops.

But he gave no proof and Eritrea's Foreign Minister Osman Saleh Mohammed denied it. "We are not part of the conflict," he told Reuters.

Eritrea and Ethiopia signed a peace deal two years ago. The Eritrean government remains⁸ hostile to the Tigrayan leadership for its part in a bloody⁹ 1998-2000 war.

Reuters reported that aid workers and security sources have spoken about airstrikes on arms storage centers and other targets as well as heavy ground fighting.

Abiy believes he can defeat the Tigrayan leadership militarily, diplomats told Reuters.

TPLF forces number up to 250,000 men and is heavily armed, experts say. The TPLF has called the prime minister "merciless" because of the airstrikes.

Words in This Story

escalation - n. a serious increase

source - n. one who reveals information

merciless - adj. without kindness or forgiveness

1 discriminates   

分别，辨别，区分( discriminate的第三人称单数 )； 歧视，有差别地对待

参考例句：

• The new law discriminates against lower-paid workers. 这条新法律歧视低工资的工人。
• One test governs state legislation that discriminates against interstate commerce. 一个检验约束歧视州际商业的州立法。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

2 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

3 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 hatred   

n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨

参考例句：

• He looked at me with hatred in his eyes.他以憎恨的眼光望着我。
• The old man was seized with burning hatred for the fascists.老人对法西斯主义者充满了仇恨。

5 formerly   

adv.从前，以前

参考例句：

• We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。
• This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。

6 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

7 escalation   

n.扩大，增加

参考例句：

• The threat of nuclear escalation remains. 核升级的威胁仍旧存在。 来自辞典例句
• Escalation is thus an aspect of deterrence and of crisis management. 因此逐步升级是威慑和危机处理的一个方面。 来自辞典例句

8 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

9 bloody   

adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染

参考例句：

• He got a bloody nose in the fight.他在打斗中被打得鼻子流血。
• He is a bloody fool.他是一个十足的笨蛋。