UN Says Ethiopian Police Seeking Lists Of Ethnic Tigrayans, As Conflict Boils

Ethiopian police visited an office of the United Nations’ World Food Programme (WFP) in Amhara region to request a list of ethnic Tigrayan staff, according to an internal UN security report seen by Reuters on Friday, amid a military offensive that has killed hundreds and shaken the wider Horn of Africa region.

The local police chief informed them of “the order of identifying ethnic Tigrayans from all government agencies and NGOs,” the report said, underlining fears over the ethnic undertones to federal troops’ push against the leaders of Tigray province in north Ethiopia which borders Amhara.

Federal troops’ 10-day push against the northern state has sent refugees flooding into Sudan and raised fears it may suck in Eritrea or weaken an African force opposing Islamist militants in Somalia if Ethiopia diverts troops from there.

It may also blemish the reputation of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who won a Nobel Peace Prize for a 2018 peace pact with Eritrea and had won plaudits for opening Ethiopia’s economy and easing a repressive political system.

Abiy accuses the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), which rules the mountainous region of more than five million people, of treason and terrorism. They say he has systematically persecuted Tigrayans since taking office in April 2018.

The conflict began last week when Abiy says the TPLF attacked a military base, since when his army has been carrying out air strikes and ground combat which the government says has “liberated” west Tigray.

On Friday, Ethiopia sought to tighten its grip on the rebellious Tigray region by appointing a new local leader.