\n Ethiopia's northern Tigray region erupted in violence nearly 14 months ago with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed sending troops to topple the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF).\n<\/p>\n
\n The United Nations is opening a probe into the \"extreme brutality\" of the conflict, despite protests from Addis Ababa.\n<\/p>\n
\n Here is a timeline of the fighting:\n<\/p>\n
\n - 2020: Troops enter Tigray -\n<\/p>\n
\n Military action begins on November 4, 2020, when Abiy orders a response to what he calls a \"traitorous\" attack on federal army camps in Tigray.\n<\/p>\n
\n He blames it on the region's ruling party the TPLF, which dominated Ethiopian politics for nearly three decades before he took office in 2018.\n<\/p>\n
\n - 'War crimes' -\n<\/p>\n
\n After 10 days of fighting, the UN warns of possible war crimes in Tigray.\n<\/p>\n
\n Neighbouring Eritrea -- with which Abiy signed a peace deal in 2018 that helped him win the Nobel Peace Prize -- is reported to have sent troops into Tigray to help the Ethiopian forces.\n<\/p>\n
\n Two weeks later Abiy takes Tigray's capital Mekele.\n<\/p>\n
\n On November 28, he declares military operations are \"completed\", but fighting continues.\n<\/p>\n
\n - 2021: 'Ethnic cleansing' -\n<\/p>\n
\n In February 2021 Amnesty International says Eritrean soldiers killed \"hundreds of civilians\" in November in the holy city of Axum.\n<\/p>\n
\n For months Ethiopia and Eritrea deny the involvement of Eritrean forces though Washington speaks of \"ethnic cleansing\".\n<\/p>\n
\n On March 23, Abiy admits the presence of Eritrean troops and officials say they massacred more than 100 civilians in Axum.\n<\/p>\n
\n Elections are held across much of Ethiopia, but not in Tigray.\n<\/p>\n
\n - Tigrayans advance -\n<\/p>\n
\n The rebels mount a shock comeback and retake Mekele in late June, before pushing into the neighbouring regions of Amhara and Afar.\n<\/p>\n
\n By July 3, the UN says 400,000 people are on the brink of famine in Tigray.\n<\/p>\n
\n The rebels rebuff US calls to withdraw and on August 10 Abiy urges civilians to join the Ethiopian army.\n<\/p>\n
\n - Rebel alliance -\n<\/p>\n
\n Abiy is sworn in for a new five-year term in office on October 4.\n<\/p>\n
\n Two weeks later, Ethiopian aircraft launch deadly strikes on Mekele and elsewhere in Tigray.\n<\/p>\n
\n In late October the rebels claim control of two key cities in Amhara -- less than 400 kilometres (250 miles) north of Addis Ababa.\n<\/p>\n
\n The government denies the claim but declares a state of emergency across the country on November 2.\n<\/p>\n
\n The following day a joint UN-Ethiopian report says crimes against humanity could have been committed by \"all sides\".\n<\/p>\n
\n - Ceasefire calls -\n<\/p>\n
\n Several countries, including the US, tell their nationals to leave Ethiopia.\n<\/p>\n
\n The UN Security Council calls for a ceasefire.\n<\/p>\n
\n On November 12, Washington slaps sanctions on Eritrea's ruling party and army.\n<\/p>\n
\n - Abiy at the front -\n<\/p>\n
\n Abiy arrives on the frontline on November 24 to personally lead the counter-offensive, official media says.\n<\/p>\n
\n The next day the government puts new restrictions on sharing information about the war.\n<\/p>\n
\n On December 1 the government says it has recaptured several towns, including the UNESCO World Heritage site Lalibela.\n<\/p>\n
\n UN humanitarian flights and convoys between Addis Ababa and Mekele resume.\n<\/p>\n
\n Five days later, the government claims to have retaken the strategic towns of Dessie and Kombolcha.\n<\/p>\n
\n Abiy announces his return to the capital after two weeks at the frontline but the rebels recapture Lalibela on December 12.\n<\/p>\n
\n - UN abuses probe -\n<\/p>\n
\n The UN Human Rights Council votes on Friday to launch a investigation into abuses as fears of a more generalised conflict grow. Addis Ababa strenuously objects, calling it \"neo-colonialist\".\n<\/p>\n
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Ethiopia's northern Tigray region erupted in violence nearly 14 months ago with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed sending troops to topple the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF). The United Nations is opening a probe into the \"extreme brutality\" of the conflict, despite protests from Addis Ababa. Here is a timeline of the fighting: - 2020: Troops […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":60,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[553],"tags":[],"ji_location":[],"class_list":["post-85717","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-live-feed"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n