Lalibela is a town in the Amhara region and a United Nations World Heritage site.
Government spokesperson Legesse Tulu did not respond to requests for comment on the reported recapture of the town by forces loyal to the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).
TPLF spokesperson Getachew Reda also did not respond to a phone call seeking comment.
One of the witnesses who spoke to Reuters said that special forces from the Amhara region and their militia allies, both of whom are allies of the Ethiopian government, began leaving Lalibela on Saturday night.
“The last batch left this morning. We heard gunshots from a distance last night but the Tigrayan forces recaptured Lalibela without firing guns in the town,” said the witness, a hotel receptionist, by phone.
Forces aligned with the TPLF had taken control of the town in early August.
But on Dec. 1, Ethiopian troops and their Amhara regional allies recaptured the town. That news was one of a number of reported gains on the battlefield against the Tigrayan forces, who had in November pushed south and threatened to march on Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa.
The year-old conflict between the federal government and the leadership of the northern region of Tigray has killed thousands of civilians, forced millions to flee their homes, and made more than 9 million people dependent on food aid.
A second witness told Reuters on Sunday that residents had begun fleeing the town. “We panicked, we never saw this coming. TPLF forces are now patrolling the town wearing their uniforms,” the witness said.
“BREAKING | TPLF recaptures UNESCO World Heritage Site of Lalibela”
It will be destroyed with you pieces of trashes. You belong in Yemen. Your bullshits has taken head-on these days. The damn so-called UNESCO, will be changed by us, the Muonyjaangs/Jaangs/Jenges/Jongkoths/Dinkas of the Sudan and Egypt. We cannot live side Abeshas (so-called ethiopians) prostitutes, cloned so-called so-called Arabs of North Sudan, Bantuses, Rwandans, Nigerians, gulf Arab states terrorists, evil white Americans, evil English people, their evil juus (so-called israel) attack dogs, Indians, Pakistanis, Nepalese, Bangladeshis, Sri Lankans, Roman Catholic (society of Jesuits), Anglicanism, Voodooism, Presbyterianism, Lutheranism, Hinduism, Shamanism and all. Reasons, pure HATRED and RACISM. The vermins/parasites/viruses always go to Italy and then go and lie through their evil teeth that they are South Sudanese running from violent in South Sudan. We investigated all of them. They are nothing do with South Sudan.
But we later found out. South Sudan is the most love country by our enemies including Pope Francis, former Argentina scrounger. He even welcomed South Sudanese low lives to Rome: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7fszb5xxCw
https://www.dabangasudan.org/en/all-news/article/pope-invited-to-visit-sudan-south-sudan
Fellow South Sudanese, when we tell the facts, then some low lives don’t heed the facts, but say, they want more. Starting Mr. Salva Kiir Mayardit. He even called Abeshas (so-called ethiopians) prostitutes our sisterly people. Since have have pieces of shits ever been our people. Our Gambella region has been taken by the owners. Abiy Ahmed piece of trash will be killed by us. In greater Bhar El Gazelles. Just ke watch, we may called you if it is very hard for us. Here in greater Upper Nile and Gambella region.
No cloned so-called Arabs of North Sudan, Abeshas (so-called ethiopians) prostitutes, Bantuses, Rwandans, Nigerians, evil juus (so-called israelis) attack dogs, gulf terror exporters, evil white Americans, evil English people, Irish, UN dirty project, NGOs and UNMISS in our country and over our people.
If these piece of have anything in our country and over our people, then, we want that debt paid. 54 countries in Africa. South Sudan and South Sudanese people are what vermins/parasites/viruses projected their evil *lenses into 24/7*, Because we are the ones who are going to bomb *the evils* to nil/nought/zero/zilch/nothing, reasons, pure HATRED and RACISM. AFRICAN UNITY and REGIONAL INTEGRATION. *Being propagated by foreign and secret societies* is very dangerous. It is Another COLD-WAR-LIKE-GAME. But this is not a COLD WAR, but WAR. Abesh (so-called ethiopia) prostitute, Kenya and South Africa, Northern Nigerian and Darfur are going to be destroyed. Reasons, they are not our equals>>>>>