(Addis Ababa) The Ethiopian government said Monday it had taken over the strategic towns of Dessie and Kombolcha, in the north of the country, more than a month after the Tigrayan rebels claimed to have seized them.
“The historic town of Dessie and Kombolcha, a commercial and industrial city, have been liberated by the valiant security forces,” the government’s communication service said on Twitter.
Just a month ago, rebels from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Tigray (TPLF) threatened Addis Ababa, after taking control of Dessie and Kombolcha, located on a highway connecting the capital to the north of the country and Djibouti. They claimed to have reached Shewa Robit, 220 km northeast of Addis Ababa.
But after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed assured in early December that he would now lead operations on the ground, the government announced a series of victories against the rebels.
On Wednesday, the government announced that pro-Abiy forces had recaptured the Lalibela site, famous for its rock-hewn churches and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which fell to Tigray fighters in August.
In a statement on Sunday, TPLF chief Debretsion Gebremichael denied that the government had regained the advantage, assuring the rebels were carrying out a strategic reorganization and remained undefeated.
The conflict erupted in November 2020, when Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed sent troops to the northernmost region of Tigray to overthrow the TPLF in response, he said, to rebel attacks on army camps.
The insurgents made a comeback, retaking most of Tigray in June, before pushing the offensive in neighboring areas of Amhara and Afar. The conflict took a new turn a month ago, when the TPLF claimed to have captured Dessie and Kombolcha, without ruling out marching on the capital, Addis Ababa.
According to the UN, the fighting has left thousands dead, more than two million displaced and plunged hundreds of thousands of people into conditions bordering on famine.