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| - Ethiopia's Tigray region, where the federal army has been fighting local forces for six months, has long had an outsized influence in the Horn of Africa nation. Located more than 600 kilometres (360 miles) from the capital Addis Ababa, Tigray is the northernmost of Ethiopia's 10 regions, which are administered under a system of "ethnic federalism" broadly dividing the country according to ethnicity and language. The Tigrayan people account for less than six percent of Ethiopia's population of 110 million. To the north lies Eritrea, which fought a border war with Ethiopia two decades ago. The regional capital, Mekele, had a population of around 500,000 before the current fighting broke out. Tigray is a major player in Ethiopia's cultural and religious history, with its heritage sites making it a tourist draw. The ancient city of Axum, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was the centre of a powerful kingdom from the 1st-9th century AD. It was Christianised by the Egyptian Church in the 4th century. The city houses a famous obelisk, 24 metres (79 feet) high, that pre-dates the Christian era and is possibly as old as the 5th century BC. Axum is also a sacred place for Ethiopian Orthodox Christians. Emperor Menelik I, considered to be the son of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, is believed to have brought the Ark of the Covenant there from Jerusalem, containing the Ten Commandments. It is believed the Ark remains in Axum today, hidden from sight in the Church of St. Mary of Zion, the most sacred place in the Ethiopian Orthodox religion. In late November Eritrean soldiers massacred hundreds of civilians in Axum, including Orthodox Christians gathering for a festival at the church, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW). Mountainous Tigray is also home to dozens of other spectacular rock churches, some carved out of perilous cliff tops. Tigray is a largely agricultural region producing several important crops, including sesame for export. It is also home to critical industries, though key sites including Ethiopia's largest textile factory are reported to have been looted in the conflict by Eritrean troops. Tigray's former ruling party, the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), dominated Ethiopia's political and security structures from 1991-2018, a reign that ended with the arrival in power of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. For much of that period Ethiopia was run by Tigrayan leader Meles Zenawi. However, when Abiy -- who is from the Oromo ethnic group -- took over he began to strip power and influence from the TPLF. In response, the TPLF's leaders withdrew to their northern stronghold and began to defy his rule including by holding unauthorised elections in September. The party controlled key military assets and was believed to command up to 200,000 troops at the start of the war. Since the end of November, the party's leaders have been on the run. md/fb/ri
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