ADDIS ABABA (Somaliguardian) – African Union envoys headed to Ethiopia on Wednesday before a government ultimatum for Tigray forces to surrender was to expire as fighting continues in the region for the third week, killing thousands and sending tens of thousands of refugees to neighboring Sudan.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government has set a 72-hour deadline for TPLF to lay down arms and surrender, before federal troops move on to surround Mekelle in a final push to drive rebel forces from the highland capital, which is home to nearly 500,000 people.
The ultimatum was to run out on Wednesday evening.
Three African Union envoys –ex-presidents Joaquim Chissano of Mozambique, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia and Kgalema Motlanthe of South Africa – were heading to Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa on Wednesday, diplomatic sources confirmed.
Their visit to Addis Ababa comes hours after Abiy Ahmed warned against international intervention in Ethiopia’s Tigray war and stressed that his country was capable of solving its internal conflict under its laws.
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