Eritrean troops disguised as Ethiopian military blocking aid in Tigray
Eritrean troops in Ethiopia’s Tigray regions are blocking critical aid from reaching those who need it in the region, according to reports from CNN.
A team of CNN reporters travelling through the region say they witnessed Eritrean soldiers, some of whom were allegedly disguised in old Ethiopian military uniforms, obstructing key aid routes leading into Tigray’s central zone. The reports emerge more than a month after Ethiopia Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said troops from neighbouring Eritrea would leave the country.
Eritrean troops block aid routes in Tigray
Eritrea’s involvement in Ethiopia’s ongoing civil conflict is well documented with accounts of soldiers killing and raping locals in a spate of human rights violations in the Tigray region. Last month, Abiy Ahmed acknowledged the presence of Eritrean troops for the first time and pledged that they would leave the country as international calls to end all conflict in the Tigray region mount.
However, reports indicate Eritrean troops are still active in the region with some taking steps to mask their identity.
With Eritrean soldiers blocking key aid routes, more people will die in the Tigray region as starvation spreads. According to CCN’s team of reporters, Eritrean troops have also been seen threatening medical staff at one of the region’s few hospitals that remains operational.
Ethiopia continues to restrict media access to the Tigray region.
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