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A30 world news
Diahuebs 1 Juli 2021

Eritrean forces withdraw from key towns in Ethiopia's Tigray

seen no statement from Er- saw the arrival of hundreds of to 900,000 people now face
itrea, nor from the Tigray thousands of people fleeing famine conditions, in the
fighters, saying they are com- intimidation in western Ti- world’s worst hunger crisis
mitted to the cease-fire. gray and is a key staging area in a decade.
for humanitarian aid.
Tigray’s former leaders said That famine “is entirely man-
they control the regional cap- Tigray forces are now in con- made,” the acting U.S. assis-
ital, Mekele, after “what ap- trol of much of the region af- tant secretary of state said.
pears to be a significant with- ter a major counteroffensive
drawal of Ethiopian national with mass popular support, Sarah Charles, assistant to the
defense forces from Tigray,” International Crisis Group administrator for the United
Godec said. analyst William Davison said States Agency for Interna-
in a statement. They are “now tional Development, told the
The Tigray leaders, who have in a position to facilitate ac- Washington hearing that the
waged a guerrilla war since cess to many previously hard next week or two will be con-
November after a political to reach areas,” he said, urg- sequential. She urged Ethio-
falling-out with the govern- ing Ethiopia’s government pia to lift a “communications
ment of Prime Minister Abiy not to sabotage the urgent blackout” on Tigray and said
(AP) — Soldiers from Er- tion of anonymity for their Ahmed, in a statement over- humanitarian efforts. forces from the neighboring
itrea withdrew from three safety. night called on supporters to Amhara region who have oc-
key towns in Ethiopia’s “intensify their struggle until The Tigray forces’ talk of cupied western Tigray must
Tigray region on Tuesday, The Eritrean soldiers, ac- our enemies completely leave pursuing enemies “indicates lift checkpoints on key roads
a day after Tigray fight- cused by witnesses of some Tigray.” how distrustful they are of for aid delivery.
ers took control of the of the war’s worst atroci- the cease-fire,” Aly Verjee, a
regional capital from re- ties, left the towns of Shire, The spokesman for the Ti- senior adviser at the United U.N. spokesman Stephane
treating Ethiopian forces Axum and Adwa but it was gray forces, Getachew Reda, States Institute of Peace, told Dujarric told reporters Tues-
and Ethiopia’s govern- not immediately clear where could not immediately be the AP. “Of course, I think it’s day that “the impact of the
ment declared a unilateral they were going or whether reached. An Ethiopian mili- highly irresponsible for them current situation on the hu-
cease-fire. Tigray forces the retreat was temporary. tary spokesman did not an- to say such things. It doesn’t manitarian operations in the
vowed to chase “enemies” The information ministry swer the phone. do anything for people on the region remains unknown
out of the region, signal- of Eritrea, described by hu- brink of famine. At the same right now.” Operations have
ing no immediate end to man rights groups as one of The arrival of Tigray forces in time, I understand they’re been “constrained for the
the fighting. the world’s most repressive Mekele on Monday was met motivated by deep suspicion past few days due to the on-
countries, did not immedi- with cheers after the interim of Eritrean forces in particu- going fighting.” The airport
The swift turn in the nearly ately respond to questions. regional administration, ap- lar.” in Mekele was closed, and
eight-month war has left pointed by Ethiopia’s govern- routes to deliver aid were not
people scrambling to under- “We don’t yet know if they ment, fled following some of Major questions remained open, he said.
stand the implications for the are withdrawing” from Ti- the most intense fighting of about the fate of the more
region of 6 million people as gray altogether, the acting the war in Africa’s second- than 1 million civilians that Ethiopia has said the cease-
communications links were U.S. assistant secretary of most populous country. the United Nations has said fire is in part for the delivery
largely cut. People in close state, Robert Godec, told the remain in parts of Tigray that of aid but will last only until
contact with witnesses who House of Representatives Tigray fighters on Tuesday have been hard, if not impos- the end of the crucial plant-
confirmed the Eritreans’ Committee on Foreign Af- moved into Axum and Shire, sible, to reach with aid. The ing season in Tigray — which
withdrawal spoke on condi- fairs. He said the U.S. had a town that in recent months United States has said up is in September.

South African court orders ex-president to jail for contempt

(AP) — South Africa’s former Mashaba in reaction to the sentence. aware of what it required of him,” said biased against him and that evidence
President Jacob Zuma has been acting chief justice Sisi Khampepe. presented against him was politically
found guilty of contempt of court and “This is indeed a victory for all South motivated.
sentenced to 15 months in prison for Africans that have become gatvol (fed She added that in determining the jail
defying a court order to appear before up) with those who have looted our sentence for Zuma, the court found it Some former Cabinet ministers,
an inquiry probing wide-ranging country with impunity,” Mashaba, impossible to conclude that he would high-ranking government officials
allegations of corruption during his former mayor of Johannesburg and comply with any other order. and executives of state-owned
tenure from 2009 to 2018. leader of the ActionSA party, said in a enterprises are among witnesses who
statement. “The judgment is equally “Mr. Zuma has repeatedly have implicated Zuma in corruption.
Zuma was not in court for the ruling a victory for the rule of law in South reiterated that he would rather be
on Tuesday and has been ordered to Africa, once again serving to highlight imprisoned than to cooperate with Several have testified that while
hand himself over within five days to the independence of our judiciary. the commission or comply with the president Zuma allowed members
a police station in his hometown of This is a central pillar of our hard- order made,” said Khampepe. of the controversial Gupta family to
Nkandla in KwaZulu-Natal province won democracy.” influence his appointment of Cabinet
or in Johannesburg. Zuma has previously expressed his ministers and lucrative contracts at
South Africa’s apex court, the unwillingness to appear before the state-owned companies.
If Zuma fails to turn himself in within Constitutional Court, ruled that commission, which has so far heard
five days South Africa’s minister of Zuma defied an order by the evidence directly implicating Zuma Zuma is also facing additional legal
police and the police commissioner country’s highest court by refusing in wrongdoing. woes as he is standing trial to face
have been ordered to take him into to cooperate with the commission of charges related to bribes that he
custody within three days. inquiry, which is chaired by deputy In a previous 21-page letter written allegedly received during South
chief justice Raymond Zondo. to Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng, Africa’s 1999 arms procurement deal.
This is the first time in South Africa’s which the court has described as
history that a former president has “The Constitutional Court holds “scandalous,” Zuma claimed that he He has pleaded not guilty to the
been sentenced to prison. that there can be no doubt that Mr. was ready to be sent to prison. charges and his lawyers have applied
Zuma is in contempt of court. Mr. for the lead prosecutor in his case
“Finally, Zuma will find himself Zuma was served with the order and In his letter which he released to to step down because of alleged bias
where he belongs - behind bars,” it is impossible to conclude anything the public, Zuma claimed that the against Zuma.
said opposition politician Herman other than that he was unequivocally commission chairman, Zondo, was