KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) – Ethiopian authorities say Eritrean troops have begun withdrawing from Tigray, where they were fighting on the side of Ethiopian forces in a war against the region’s leaders.
Ethiopia’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement late Saturday that the Eritreans “have now begun evacuating Tigray” and that Ethiopian forces have “taken over the guarding of the national border.”
It is not clear how many Eritrean troops are left, and some in Tigray claim that the Eritreans did not leave at all. Some leaders of the region have complained that Eritrean troops were sometimes dressed in Ethiopian military uniforms.
Ethiopia’s government is being put under severe pressure to end the Tigray war, which began in November when Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed deployed troops there following an attack on federal military facilities. The region’s fugitive leaders do not recognize Abiy’s authority after a national election was postponed last year amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The G-7 group of nations issued a strong statement on Friday calling for Eritrean troops to withdraw from Tigray “quickly, unconditionally and verifiably” after Abiy said last week that the Eritreans had agreed to leave.
This statement also called for the establishment of a clear, inclusive political process that is acceptable to all Ethiopians, including those in Tigray, and that leads to credible elections and a wider national reconciliation process. ‘
There are increasing reports of atrocities such as massacres and rapes in the war, and concerns are growing about a lack of food and medical care in Tigray, a region of 6 million people.