PM Abiy Ahmed has implied operation will soon be over, but many leaders have found their planned short wars will not end quickly
Within days, the conflict in the north-western Ethiopian region of Tigray may reach a bloody climax.
The fighting between federal forces and those loyal to the ruling party of the unsettled province has been chaotic and bitter. Hundreds have been killed – both combatants and civilians – and many thousands forced to flee their homes. Regional and international powers have looked on with increasing anxiety as violence threatens the stability of one of Africa’s most fragile regions.