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A6 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 10 November 2020
Ethiopia says its jets are 'pounding' targets in Tigray

Associated Press Communications remain their disputes.
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — An almost completely cut off Gen. Abdel-Fatah Burhan,
Ethiopian military official in Tigray, with airports and head of the ruling Sover-
says the air force is "pound- roads closed, complicating eign Council, issued the
ing targets with precision" efforts to verify either side's statement after chair-
as the federal govern- assertions. Each accuses ing a meeting of Sudan's
ment continues its offensive the other of starting the National Defence Coun-
against the defiant north- fighting. cil, the highest body that
ern region of Tigray and no Diplomats and others as- makes decisions in security
clear route to peace is yet sert that the conflict in matters in the country. He
seen. Tigray could destabilize called on the international
Maj. Gen. Mohammed other parts of Ethiopia, Af- and regional communities
Tssema in a Facebook post rica's second-most popu- to "carry out their duties for
on Monday also denied as lous country with 110 million the stability of the region
"totally wrong" a claim by people, scores of ethnic and peace opportunities in
the Tigray regional gov- Ethiopians read newspapers and magazines reporting on the groups, and other regions Ethiopia."
current military confrontation in the country, one of which shows
ernment on Sunday that a a photograph of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, on a street in the that have sought more au- Earlier in Sudan, which
fighter jet had been shot capital Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Saturday, Nov. 7, 2020. tonomy even as the Nobel forms Tigray's western bor-
down. Associated Press Peace Prize-winning Abiy der, Lt. Gen. Shams el-Din
The Tigray government tries to hold the country to- Kabashi, a member of the
confirmed the federal gov- gray regional government, and destabilize the strate- gether with exhortations of Sovereign Council, told a
ernment's aerial assault, which his government re- gic Horn of Africa region. national unity. local newspaper measures
saying in a Facebook post gards as illegal after the "Concerns that Ethiopia will The conflict in Tigray pits have taken to get ready for
that the air force had car- Tigray Peoples Liberation descend into chaos are un- two heavily armed forces an expected flow of refu-
ried out more than 10 aerial Front, which once domi- founded," he said in a brief against each other in the gees fleeing the fighting.
attacks so far. nated Ethiopia's ruling co- statement, and vowed heart of the strategic but "We have completed our
It remains unclear how alition, broke away from that what he calls a law en- vulnerable Horn of Africa preparedness," he said in
many people have been it last year. The Tigray re- forcement action "will wrap region, and experts worry an interview with the Youm
killed in the fighting that gional government felt up soon." Abiy on Sunday that neighbors including al-Taly newspaper pub-
erupted last week in Tigray marginalized by Abiy's po- reshuffled his Cabinet to Sudan, Eritrea and Somalia lished Monday.
as the government of No- litical reforms and defied make major changes to his could be sucked in. A military official in Khar-
bel Peace Prize-winning the federal government by government's military and In a sign of rapidly esca- toum meanwhile said the
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed holding a local election in intelligence leadership. lating tensions, the leader Sudanese military has de-
comes under increasing September. The United Nations and of neighboring Sudan said ployed more than 6,000
international pressure to Abiy on Monday again others have warned of a his country is concerned troops to the area border-
calm tensions. sought to calm concerns brewing humanitarian di- about the fighting and ing Ethiopia and Tigray
But Abiy has shown no sign that the deadly confronta- saster affecting up to 9 mil- urged the warring sides to since the start of the fight-
of opening talks with the Ti- tion could slide into civil war lion people. find a peaceful solution to ing in Tigray last week.q

Estonia's far-right minister resigns over Biden remarks

"I am tired. I did nothing these elections were falsi- tion as Estonia's third-larg-
yesterday that would en- fied," Martin Helme said in est party.
danger Estonia's security. the interview, according to On Monday, Martin Helme
I have not said anything Estonian news portal Delfi told reporters that what he
that has not already been and national broadcaster said was what "the whole
told by the American me- ERR. "I believe all normal of the U.S. media is saying.
dia, the American free me- people should speak up The press (in Estonia) is not
dia," he told public broad- against it. There is no point telling the Estonian people
caster ERR. in talking about democ- what the entire American
He made the remarks on racy or rule of law in a situ- media is saying, but I did
Sunday in an Estonian ation where elections can it — election fraud," the
radio show which inter- be faked so plainly, boldly younger Helme said, ac-
viewed both Mart Helme and on a massive scale." cording to the Baltic News
and his son Martin, who is On Facebook Sunday, Es- Service.
the country's finance min- tonian Prime Minister Juri The comments are seen as
In this Monday, March 4, 2019 file photo, Chairman of the Es- ister. They also discussed a Ratas urged the pair to highly embarrassing to Es-
tonian Conservative People's Party (EKRE) Mart Helme speaks
at the headquarters after parliamentary elections in Tallinn, Es- hypothetical scenario of a stop issuing unsubstantiat- tonia, a small former Soviet
tonia. U.S. civil war after the elec- ed statements that he said republic of 1.3 million and a
Associated Press tion result. damage Estonian and U.S. European Union and NATO
U.S. President Donald bilateral relations. Ratas member that is a staunch
By JAN M. OLSEN acters" without providing Trump "will win eventually. congratulated Biden and ally of Washington.
Associated Press further details or evidence. It will happen as a result of stressed the U.S. elections In a statement issued Mon-
COPENHAGEN, Denmark "Last night I decided to re- an immense struggle, may- were "fair, free and trans- day, Ratas said that "In
(AP) — Estonia's far-right in- sign (when) looking at the be even bloodshed but parent." the current situation, Mart
terior minister, Mart Helme, slander and lies produced justice will win in the end," The populist EKRE, which Helme's resignation is the
resigned Monday, a day by the Estonian media," Mart Helme told the TRE Helme co-founded and only way for the govern-
after he called President- said Helme, of the Estonian radio station according to has an anti-immigrant and ment to continue its work,
elect Joe Biden and his Conservative People's Par- local media. anti-EU agenda, emerged including foreign policy
son Hunter "corrupt char- ty, or EKRE. "There is no question that from a March 2019 elec- goals." q