The African Union on Tuesday implored the Ethiopian government to go slow on bombarding the troubled Tigray region, even as Addis Ababa insisted the situation was an internal matter.

On the same day Ethiopia said it had seized a local airport in Tigray, African Union chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat said the government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed should abandon a military crackdown on the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, to protect civilians.

Mr Faki said the continental body is “concerned” about the escalation of tensions between the Ethiopian government and the regional administration in Tigray, currently under the TPLF.

“The chairperson appeals for the immediate cessation of hostilities and calls on parties to respect human rights and ensure the protection of civilians,” his office said on Tuesday.