December 21, 2020

Andrew Campbell 

Amid fierce fighting between Ethiopian federal troops and regional troops from the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) since November 4, there were a number of bomb blasts in Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa. The police have blamed the TPLF for those incidents.

Most recently, a bomb blast in Lideta near the center of Addis Ababa on December 20 has triggered the tension again. However, the police have not found solid evidence in the blast. So far, it is reportedly an abandoned bomb exploded, killing 3 and injuring 5.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, since taking office in 2008, and Eritrea’s President Isaias Afwerki have fought against TPLF in the Tigray region. Since Ethiopia’s Tigray war broke out on November 4, thousands have been reportedly killed, and an estimated 50,000 refugees have fled their homes to neighboring Sudan. 

The elders described that the troops slaughtered the residents like chickens, and rampant looting and vandalism could be seen everywhere. Mulu Nega, the newly appointed Tigray president, was begged to stop the hooligans’ looting as soon as possible.

Photo:Webshot.