Ethiopia regions send troops to back fight with Tigray rebels

The mobilisation follows Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s warning that his forces would repel any attacks by their enemies.

Three Ethiopian regions previously untouched by the war in Tigray confirmed on Thursday that they were deploying forces to back military operations there, signalling a potential widening of the conflict. The reinforcements are coming from Oromia – Ethiopia’s largest region – as well as the Sidama region and Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples’ Region (SNNPR), according to official statements and state media reports. The mobilisation follows Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s warning on Wednesday that his forces would repel any attacks by their enemies, effectively tearing up a government-declared ceasefire on June 28.