Ethiopia's PM defiant as rebel Tigray forces make advances

Ethiopia’s prime minister has called on his supporters to redouble their efforts in the country’s civil war, as rebel forces claimed to have seized key cities that control a major highway toward the capital

NAIROBI, Kenya -- Ethiopia’s prime minister has called on his supporters to redouble their efforts in the country's civil war, as rebel forces claimed to have seized key cities that control a major highway toward the capital.

A move on the capital, Addis Ababa, would signal a new phase in the war that has killed thousands of people since fighting broke out almost a year ago between Ethiopian government troops and Tigray forces in the country's northern region.

The prime minister’s spokeswoman, Billene Seyoum, did not immediately respond to a question Monday about the government leader’s current whereabouts or travel plans.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in a statement on Sunday said federal troops are fighting on four fronts against the Tigray forces and that “we should know that our enemy’s main strength is our weakness and unpreparedness.”