[Nicky91]

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-55083098



Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed says he is launching the "final phase" of the army's operation in the northern region of Tigray after weeks of fighting.

He said the military would try not to harm civilians in the regional capital Mekelle - a city of 500,000 people - and urged residents to stay at home.

The TPLF party, which controls Mekelle, has vowed to keep fighting.

The UN warns of possible war crimes if the Ethiopian army attacks Mekelle.

UN human rights chief Michele Bachelet told the BBC the city's inhabitants were in "deep peril".

"We're really alarmed by the dangerous situation particularly because of the civilians trapped in Mekelle," she said, adding that there was "potential for serious violations of international humanitarian human rights law".

The UN has also expressed concerns about the lack of access to the region for humanitarian workers.

The Ethiopian authorities on Thursday said that "a humanitarian access route" overseen by the government will be opened up, adding that they were "committed to work with UN agencies... to protect civilians and those who need it".

Mr Abiy's announcement on the military operation came after a deadline he gave for Tigray fighters to surrender passed on Wednesday.

Hundreds of people have reportedly been killed and thousands have been forced from their homes as Ethiopian forces have seized various towns in Tigray from the TPLF.

Details of the fighting are hard to confirm because all phone, mobile and internet communications with the Tigray region have been cut.

Journalist and political activist Daniel Berhane, who is in Mekelle, told the BBC there was no sign yet of any attack, and that shops, cafes and restaurants in the city were "almost full".

Three African Union representatives have arrived in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa to try to broker talks but Ethiopia has so far rejected all mediation attempts, saying the conflict is an internal matter and Mr Abiy's government is engaged in a law enforcement mission in Tigray.

The three envoys will not be allowed to travel to Tigray.

Also on Thursday, Ethiopian troops were deployed along the Tigray region's border with Sudan, where they prevented people fleeing the violence from leaving the country, according to refugees.

The BBC's Anne Soy, on the Sudanese side of the border, saw at least a dozen members of the Ethiopian military, leading to a marked decrease in the number of people crossing into Sudan.

More than 40,000 people have fled Ethiopia since the conflict began.