Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed tweeted Thursday that the country's military will begin the "final phase" of an offensive in the northern Tigray region after his 72-hour ultimatum for local leaders to surrender expired.
Why it matters: The government of Abiy, who won the Nobel Peace Prize last year, has said it will show "no mercy" if civilians don't "move away from the Tigray leaders in time" as weaponry including tanks near the regional capital, Mekelle, per AP.
Final Phase of the Rule of Law Operations Commences pic.twitter.com/TAAyZxSe0U
— Abiy Ahmed Ali 🇪🇹 (@AbiyAhmedAli) November 26, 2020
Go deeper: Ethiopia clashes raise risk of civil war
