Alarabiya
Tigrayan forces on Monday announced they were withdrawing from several areas of northern Ethiopia and retreating to Tigray, marking a new turning point in the 13-month war which has left thousands of people dead.
“We decided to withdraw from these areas to Tigray. We want to open the door to humanitarian aid,” Getachew Reda, spokesman for the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, told AFP, announcing a pullout from the regions of Amhara and Afar.
The decision was made a few weeks ago, Getachew said, adding that TPLF fighters were carrying out “phase by phase withdrawals” from various towns, including the UNESCO World Heritage site of Lalibela, which has changed hands several times during the conflict.
The move marks a major reversal by the rebels, who previously dismissed the government’s insistence on their withdrawal from Afar and Amhara as “an absolute non-starter” for talks to begin…
