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By Addis Getachew
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia
The Ethiopian government is launching a campaign to disarm the people residing in the restless northernmost region of Tigray.
The newly appointed interim administration for the region has asked people to hand over their weapons to authorities on Tuesday.
“Any individual found to be in possession of firearms after Tuesday will be held accountable by law,” Interim Administration Executive Director Mulu Nega said at a news conference.
According to a local FANA broadcaster, Mulu said that all people in the Tigray region who possess weapons should disarm themselves by going to nearby security offices.
“A house-to-house search will take place starting Wednesday in Tigray, including in the regional capital Mekele,” he said, adding that those who remain in possession of weapons will face justice.
He also announced that starting Monday, the region will begin normal business and other activities when the military operation ends.
On November 4, the Ethiopian federal government launched a law enforcement operation in Tigray after the now outlawed Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and its forces stormed the Northern Command of the National Defense Forces of Ethiopia, killed soldiers and looted military equipment.
On November 28, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed declared the end of the military operation following the fall of the city of Mekele, capital of the Tigray region.
According to UNHCR, 50,000 Ethiopians have taken refuge in neighboring Sudan.
Earlier this month, the Ethiopian government and the UN signed an agreement for a humanitarian access coordination mechanism.
The top TPLF commanders and rebel military officers remain in hiding while the former president of the Federation Chamber, who was also a member of the TPLF executive committee, Keriya Ibrahim, surrendered to the federal forces.
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