Ethiopia: Ex-Upper House speaker surrenders to gov't

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia

The former head of Ethiopia's upper legislative chamber surrendered Tuesday to government armed forces.

The surrender of Keria Ibrahim, the former speaker of the House of Federation, Ethiopia's upper parliamentary chamber, which was confirmed by the State of Emergency Task Force for the Tigray Crisis, was announced by state-owned Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation.

Ibrahim had previously left the government and became a member of the executive committee of the now-outlawed Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF).

Federal authorities have launched a manhunt for TPLF leaders since army forces on Nov. 28 took control of the regional capital, Mekele, the last bastion of the TPLF, ending weeks of clashes.

On Nov. 4, the government launched what it described as a law enforcement operation against the TPLF after the group attacked an army base in Tigray.

Heavy fighting ensued, leading to the displacement of more than 41,000 Ethiopians to neighboring Sudan.