Tigray forces withdraw from neighbouring Ethiopian regions - spokesman

Newly recruited youth joining Tigrayan forces march through the village of Nebelet, northern Tigray, Ethiopia, July 11, 2021. REUTERS/Giulia Paravicini/Files

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Tigrayan forces fighting the central government have withdrawn from neighbouring regions in Ethiopia's north, a Tigrayan spokesman said on Monday, a step towards a possible ceasefire after major territorial gains by the Ethiopian military.

The 13-month-old war in Africa's second most populous nation has destabilised an already fragile region, sent 60,000 refugees into Sudan, pulled Ethiopian soldiers away from war-ravaged Somalia and sucked in armed forces from neighbouring Eritrea.