Ethiopia PM Abiy Ahmed calls on civilians to join Tigray war

Ethiopia’s prime minister has called on civilians to join the army in its fight against rebels in the Tigray region.

Abiy Ahmed asked “all capable Ethiopians” to “show their patriotism” by joining the war, which is raging across the north of the country.

Fighting has escalated since June when the rebels, led by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), recaptured much of Tigray in an offensive.

This came after the federal army had withdrawn and declared a ceasefire.In a sign of how desperate the army situation has become, Mr Abiy – a Nobel Peace Prize winner – said the whole country had to get behind the battle to defeat the TPLF.