NAIROBI (Reuters) - Rebellious Tigrayan forces fighting the central government are withdrawing from neighbouring regions in northern Ethiopia, Getachew Reda, a spokesperson for the Tigray People's Liberation Front, said on Monday.

       "We hope that by (us) withdrawing, the international community will do something about the situation in Tigray as they can no longer use as an excuse that our forces are invading Amhara and Afar," Getachew told Reuters.

       The Ethiopian government has previously said that Tigrayan forces must withdraw from the regions of Afar and Amhara, which they invaded in July, before any negotiations might be possible.

       Ethiopian government spokesperson Legesse Tulu did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

       Conflict erupted last year between the federal government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), which dominated Ethiopian politics for nearly three decades before Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed came to power in 2018.

       Thousands of civilians have been killed, hundreds of thousands are facing famine conditions in Tigray, and 9.4 million people need food aid across northern Ethiopia.

       (Reporting by Addis Ababa Newsroom; Editing by Kevin Liffey)