The weekend warning came as Ethiopia again shrugged off calls for mediation, following more than three weeks of fighting.

Hundreds have been killed since Ethiopia’s PM Abiy Ahmed launched the offensive on November 4th. More than 30,000 have fled over the border into Sudan.

Abiy’s forces have been claiming various successes in recent days.

Verifying the claims is difficult as communications to Tigray are shut off.

Abiy already has launched airstrikes against Mekelle, a city of half a million.

He launched the offensive after what the government described as a surprise attack on federal troops by forces from the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), the political party that controls Tigray.