Ethiopia’s Abiy Ahmed Pays First Visit to Tigray Capital since Military Offensive

Ethiopia’s Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed, has visited Mekelle, the capital of Tigray for the first time since he ordered a military offensive against the region.

The prime minister attended the first meeting of a new regional council.

He’d earlier hosted talks with the prime minister of Sudan, to where 50,000 Tigrayan refugees have fled.

A Sudanese official said Abdalla Hamdok was prepared to mediate in the conflict but a statement by Abiy made no mention of any such offer – though it said the Sudanese delegation had backed his actions in Tigray.

Reports say Hamdok has returned home early from what Ethiopia said would be a two-day trip.