HUMAN Rights Watch has warned the Ethiopian government looks set to “treat a whole city as a military target” as it warned residents its impending attack would show “no mercy.”

Tanks are encircling Tigray’s regional capital Mekele, and military spokesman Colonel Dejene Tsegaye announced: “Our people in Mekele should protect themselves from heavy artillery. Save yourself. 

“A directive has been communicated for you to dissociate yourself from this junta, after that there will be no mercy.”

The “junta” in question is the regional government of the Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), which played a leading role in Ethiopian governments until current President Abiy Ahmed took office in 2018. He has accused the region’s leaders of seeking to break away.

On Saturday Abiy gave the TPLF 72 hours to surrender, and hinted that the army would attack a wide range of civilian targets in the city by declaring that TPLF leaders were using religious sites, hotels, schools and “even cemeteries” as hideouts.