Eritrean troops 'begin withdrawing' from Tigray

Ethiopia has said that troops from neighbouring Eritrea involved in the war in Tigray have started to pull out of the country as international calls for an end to hostilities and unfettered humanitarian access continue to grow.

Billene Seyoum, the spokeswoman for Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, said reports from the defence ministry indicate they had begun withdrawing.

Ethiopia had previously denied that Eritrean forces were in the country, but in March Mr Abiy admitted they were there and said they would start leaving.

The seven-month-old conflict in Tigray has seen all those involved, including Eritrean soldiers, accused of gross rights violations such as rape and extrajudicial killings.

Talking to journalists, Ms Billene denied allegations that people were being deliberately starved of food. She said the government was working to provide emergency food aid with several agencies, including the UN's World Food Programme.

She alleged that Ethiopia was under an orchestrated diplomatic attack and accused the West of being "condescending in nature, often patronising in tone, belligerent in approach and destructive in the outcome".

Close to two million people have fled their homes since conflict broke out last year while millions are in need of humanitarian assistance.

This article was originally published by BBC News. [Photo: Reuters]