Ethiopia’s Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed, ordered his forces to launch an offensive against the rebellious northern province of Tigray.

These are key points:

• Prime Minister Abiy accused the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) of attempting to steal artillery and other equipment from federal forces stationed there. “The last red line has been crossed with this morning’s attacks and the federal government is therefore forced into a military confrontation,” Abiy’s office said in a statement. The Ethiopian National Defence Forces have been ordered to carry out “their mission to save the country and the region from spiralling into instability”, the statement said.
• +
• Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s statement in full is posted below
• There is a report that Ethiopia’s Northern Command is resisting the Prime Minister’s order to attack Tigray

__________________________________________________