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The Ethiopian House of Federation made the decision to form an interim government for its northern Tigray region in a political escalation of its conflict with the ruling Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) party, which has brought the country to the brink. of the civil war.
The announcement follows a decision by the federal government of
send your military to the region
to confront the armed forces of the TPLF, which the Ethiopian government has accused of attacking their military camps and stealing weapons. That decision sparked widespread fears at home and abroad of a full-scale armed conflict.
Ethiopia says it is taking action after what it considers “unconstitutional” action by an “illegitimate” TPLF. “The prime minister therefore has the task of deploying the federal police and the national army in Tigray,” the Chamber said in its statement issued on Saturday (November 6). It also banned legislators and executives from the region.
The decision was made just one day after the lower house of the Ethiopian parliament unanimously approved the implementation of the state of emergency in the region for the next six months, which will seek to disarm the region’s security forces, impose transport restrictions and curfew. The detention of suspects without due process was also allowed for those suspected of carrying out illicit activities that violate the constitutional order.
On Friday, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said that the national army achieved a 100% victory against the TPLF and an airstrike carried out by the Air Force destroyed heavy weapons, radar equipment, missiles and rockets with a range of 300 kilometers. . But top TPLF leaders denied there was no such damage, although they acknowledged that there had been an air strike.
Abiy also warned that there will be another airstrike, while advising people in the region to avoid large gatherings or to stay at nearby gas stations, military camps and airports to avoid collateral damage.
“We will ensure that the rule of law is respected and that operations continue until the board is held accountable by law,” Abiy said.
Meanwhile, TPLF still claims that it is in a position to defend Tigray and respond to any type of attack with force.
“One thing is for sure, we will undertake offensive defensive measures twice as much as any attack Abiy carries out,” said Getachew Reda, a senior TPLF official.
Tensions between the Ethiopian federal government and Tigray leaders began to rise in September after the TPLF claimed an overwhelming victory in a regional election that Addis Ababa did not recognize. The ruling Tigray party and the Ethiopian federal government have been at odds since shortly after Prime Minister Abiy, an Oromo, came to power in April 2018. The federal government has repeatedly alleged that the TPLF is attempting to weaken the national unity of the country.
Tigray is one of the 10 autonomous regional states of Ethiopia and is home to more than 6 million people. It is the only region where the ruling party of the federal government, the Prosperity Party, has neither power nor political influence.
TPLF, in its latest statement posted on its official Facebook page, urged the federalist forces to pressure the federal government to accept its proposal to resolve the crisis by peaceful means.
However, the federal government is in a firm position in stating that criminal elements cannot escape the rule of law under the pretext of seeking reconciliation and a call for dialogue.
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