The rebel forces in Tigray have rejected a ceasefire offer from the central government. The rebel fighters retook the regional capital Mekelle on Tuesday and Ethiopian troops retreated on Monday, marking a significant change in the country’s eight month civil war. After the capture of Mekelle, the Ethiopian government announced an unilateral ceasefire for several months. Tigrayan forces ruled out a truce on Tuesday citing that until the Ethiopian military and allied forces have left the entire region, they will not rest.
The Ethiopian military had been in control of most of Tigray since last November. The armed wing of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) launched a coordinated push to recapture Mekele in the past few days, and were successful on Tuesday. The recapturing of the regional capital was a big blow for Ethiopian Prime Minister Ably Ahmed and the Ethiopian troops.
