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WORLD NEWS Friday 8 January 2021

Ethiopian army official confirms Eritrean troops in Tigray

By CARA ANNA Addis Standard magazine
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — A along with a video of him
senior Ethiopian military of- speaking to residents of the
ficial has confirmed the Tigray capital, Mekele, late
presence of security forces last month.
from neighboring Eritrea in "An alien army we didn't
the deadly conflict in his want came in," Belay said in
country's northern Tigray the translated remarks. "We
region, contradicting the know the problems that
Ethiopian government's de- are being raised, it's pain-
nials. ful, but who let them in?"
The United States last They were not welcome,
month said it believed Er- he added: "My conscience
itrean troops were active does not allow me to say,
in Ethiopia, a "grave devel- 'Eritrean army, come and
opment," as people fleeing help us!' We can solve our
the Tigray region alleged own problems on our own."
that Eritrean forces were A senior Ethiopian official,
involved in the fighting, tar- Redwan Hussein, did not
geting and abducting Er- immediately respond to
itrean refugees from camps a request for comment
near the Eritrean border as Thursday as the country
well as scores of Tigray resi- In this file photo dated Monday, Nov. 30, 2020, Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed responds to celebrated the Orthodox
dents. The fugitive Tigray questions from members of parliament at the prime minister's office in the capital Addis Ababa, Christmas holiday. Eritrea's
leader also has alleged Er- Ethiopia. information minister has not
itrea's involvement. Associated Press responded to requests for
Ethiopia's Nobel Peace comment on the issue.
Prize-winning Prime Minis- Nations Secretary-General tive Tigray government, Tigray leaders criminals. The involvement of Eritrean
ter Abiy Ahmed, who was Antonio Guterres said last which once dominated The comments by Maj. forces in a region where
awarded the prize for mak- month. Ethiopia's government but Gen. Belay Seyoum, lead- nearly 100,000 Eritrean
ing peace with Eritrea in Eritrea, described by rights was sidelined after Abiy er of the Northern Com- refugees shelter in camps
2018, had "guaranteed" groups as one of the world's took power and now sees mand of Ethiopia's defense has been a major source
that Eritrean forces had most repressive countries, is his rule as illegitimate. Ethio- forces, were published of alarm for humanitarian
not entered Tigray, United a bitter enemy of the fugi- pia's government calls the Wednesday by the local workers and others. q

Devils dance, observe virus protocols at Ecuador festival

By DOLORES OCHOA sembled in a designated — said to be the sound a
PILLARO, Ecuador (AP) — area in Pillaro, denied the demon makes when feel-
Talk of the devil and he is chance to strut through ing cold after emerging
bound to appear, the say- streets and grimace at big from hell.
ing goes. In Ecuador, that crowds as they previously The Diablada in central
means even during the did, though scenes of the Ecuador was restricted to
pandemic. trimmed festival circulated Wednesday's gathering
An Andean village festival on social media. and another diabolical
known as the Diablada, or Thousands of tourists have dance-off on Jan. 1. That
dance of the devils, was traveled to past editions was instead of daily pa-
muted Wednesday be- of the festival, which Ecua- rades during a weeklong
cause of the health emer- dor's culture ministry clas- commemoration that is
gency. But a small group sifies as an occasion of ïn- also held in some other An-
of people in demon and tangible heritage" in 2009. dean regions.
other costumes still danced In past years, at least 1,000 There is no clear record of People dressed as devils dance in La Diablada Pillarena amid
the COVID-19 pandemic in Pillaro, Ecuador, Wednesday, Jan.
without spectators, obey- dancers, musicians and the origin of the Diablada, 6, 2021.
ing municipal rules that no others performed in the according to Ecuador's Associated Press
more than 30 people par- weeklong new year's fes- culture ministry.
ticipate as Ecuador strug- tival, some of them spook- One theory is that men dis- the wooing of women. people to express discon-
gles to contain the spread ing bystanders with papier- guised themselves as devils Some believe it dates to tent with Roman Catholic
of the coronavirus. mache devil horns, fangs to scare rivals in a dispute Spanish colonial rule and edicts, resulting in a mix of
The costumed fiends as- and shouts of "achachay" between two villages over was a way for Indigenous cultural influences.q