‘Stop the madness,’ Tigray leader urges Ethiopia’s PM

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The fugitive leader of Ethiopia’s defiant Tigray region is calling on Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to “stop the madness” and withdraw troops from the region as he asserted that fighting continues “on every front” two days after Abiy declared victory.

Debretsion Gebremichael, in a phone interview with The Associated Press, said he remains near the Tigray capital, Mekele, which the Ethiopian army on Saturday said it now controlled. Far from accepting Abiy’s declaration of victory, the Tigray leader asserted that “we are sure we’ll win.” He also accused the Ethiopian forces of carrying out a “genocidal campaign” against the Tigray people.