MEKELE: Ethiopia’s federal government on Monday declared a “unilateral ceasefire” in its war-torn Tigray region, state media reported, as rebel fighters entered the regional capital Mekele sparking celebrations on the streets.

The dramatic reversal for Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s forces signalled a turning point in the nearly eight-month-old conflict in Tigray that the UN says has pushed 350,000 people to the brink of famine.

The ceasefire announcement came as the rebels, who have branded themselves the Tigray Defence Forces (TDF), marched into Mekele, where residents danced as local officials fled the city.

“An unconditional, unilateral ceasefire has been declared starting from today, June 28,” read a statement published on Monday night by state media.

There was no immediate reaction from the TDF to the federal government’s ceasefire declaration.

The war in Tigray began last November, when Abiy sent troops in to oust the dissident regional leadership.

He said the move came in response to attacks by the regional ruling party, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), on federal army camps.

Abiy promised a swift victory, and federal troops took control of Mekele in late November.

But intense fighting has persisted throughout the region amid mounting reports of massacres and widespread sexual violence.

The TDF launched a major offensive last week coinciding with Ethiopia’s highly anticipated national elections.

An interim government official said that the TDF fighters had entered Mekele.

Published in Dawn, June 29th, 2021