Ethiopian troops have advanced further into the northern region of Tigray, seizing a key town on the road to its capital, officials in Addis Ababa have said. The conflict between national forces and troops loyal to the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) is heading towards the end of its second week. There are widespread fears the war will exacerbate ethnic tensions elsewhere in Africa’s second-most populous country, draw in regional powers and destabilise the Horn of Africa. On Sunday, the office of Ethiopia’s Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed, said the war in Tigray was irreversible and aimed at “enforcing the rule of law”. A taskforce set up by Abiy to handle the government’s response claimed troops had liberated the town of Alamata. Though officials have confidently proclaimed imminent victory, Monday’s announcement that federal troops had reached Alamata may not necessarily reinforce the message that the government offensive was making rapid progress.

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