Ethiopians protest against outsiders amid Tigray conflict

Thousands of people in towns across Ethiopia took to the streets on Saturday to protest against outsiders' interference in the country's internal affairs.

Many such events have been held in the nearly two years since the war broke out in the country's northern region.

Some demonstrators accused the U.S. of disrespecting Ethiopia's sovereignty while others blamed Tigray's fugitives.

The rally was put on by the city.

"We want to assure the world that we are always by his side and support the government's call for our sovereignty," said Jantirar Abay. The people of Ethiopia oppose any threat to the unity of the country.

Peace talks between warring parties are expected to start next week. The African Union is trying to stop fighting in Tigray.

As Ethiopia's federal military took control of the major town of Shire this week, diplomats expressed alarm over reports of civilian casualties in the region. In Tigray, troops from both Ethiopia and Eritrea are fighting.

The U.S. urged the parties to agree to an immediate cease-fire after they were urged to pull out of Tigray. The human cost of the conflict is staggering according to the administrator of the U.S. agency for international development.

According to the AP, dozens of women and girls have been raped and hundreds of civilians have been killed during fighting. According to an internal document prepared by Tigray's regional Emergency Coordination Centre, roughly 40 girls and women between the ages of 13 and 80 were raped in the town of the same name.

The UN Security Council discussed the conflict in Ethiopia at a closed meeting on Friday, but didn't issue a statement because of divisions among its members.

The council proposed a statement that would have expressed grave concern at reports of increased fighting in Tigray, called for an immediate cessation of hostilities, and urged the parties to recommit to dialogue, according to diplomats. The diplomats said that Russia and China prevented it from being approved.

Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., said in a statement Friday that there had been a serious increase in fighting and violence. The scale of the fighting and deaths is comparable to what we are seeing in Ukraine.

Tigray's leaders are trying to break the blockade of their region in order to end the conflict.