NAIROBI – Alarm spiraled Tuesday over Ethiopia's imminent tank attack on the capital of the defiant Tigray region, with a rush of warnings about protecting civilians three weeks after the war began.Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's 72-hour ultimatum for the region's leaders to surrender ends on Wednesday.
His military has warned civilians of “no mercy” if they don’t move away in time – which some human rights groups and diplomats say could violate international law.“The highly aggressive rhetoric on both sides regarding the fight for Mekele is dangerously provocative and risks placing already vulnerable and frightened civilians in grave danger,” United Nations human rights chief Michelle Bachelet said.