Abyei Ahmed Defends Ethiopian Army Operation in Tigray

قوندرEthiopian Prime Minister Abyei Ahmed on Friday sought to defend his country’s military operation in the northern Tigray region, saying he was “forced” to do so, at a time when calls are mounting to prevent what could become in a devastating war.

The long-running disagreements escalated into an armed conflict this week between Addis Ababa and Tigray, whose leaders practically ruled the country for decades until Abyei came to power in 2018.

Ahmed Masa announced in a Tigray-language televised speech that the “air strikes” will not target “civilians, but targets belonging to this dangerous group,” referring to the Tigray People’s Liberation Front.

A diplomatic source confirmed to AFP that it had received reliable information about at least one airstrike this week near Mikli, the largest city in Tigray.

The Secretary General of the United Nations, António Guterres, called for an immediate de-escalation, while there was information about intense bombings and movement of forces. Meanwhile, observers have warned that any war between the two powerful armies will be bloody and protracted.

And on Wednesday, Abyei, who won the Nobel Peace Prize last year, announced that he had ordered the launch of military operations in Tigray in response to an “attack” launched by the “Tigray People’s Liberation Front” against a military camp in the region.

The LTTE denied the attack and accused Abyei of making up the story to justify the deployment of the army against him.

“The objectives of the ongoing operations being carried out by the Federal Defense Forces in northern Ethiopia are clear, limited and achievable: to restore the rule of law and constitutional order and protect the rights of Ethiopians to live in peace. , wherever they are in the country, “Abyei wrote in a tweet on Friday.

Abyei’s comments came after the army announced on Wednesday that the country had “entered an unforeseen war” against the Tigray People’s Liberation Front.

“This is a flawed and futile war,” Ethiopian Army Deputy Chief of Staff Burhan Gula said Thursday.

In turn, Abyei said his government “patiently tried for months to peacefully resolve differences with the TPLF leaders. We resorted to mediation, reconciliation and dialogue … but all failed because of the criminal arrogance and intransigence of the TPLF. It was the attack from the front on the military leadership of the north which In Tigray, you are the last straw “.

In a longer statement, he said that since coming to power, a “criminal clique” in Tigray had tried to make the country ungovernable and thus “forced the” government “to take measures within the framework of the implementation of the rule of law.”

In a statement on Twitter, Guterres called for “an immediate reduction in tension and a peaceful resolution of the conflict.” “I am deeply concerned about the situation in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. Ethiopia’s stability is important to the entire Horn of Africa region,” he said.

For her part, the spokesperson for the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dina Mufti, said that her country’s government had made it clear to the international community that it had been “provoked” to push it into the current situation.

“Their general response is that they want peace and stability to prevail in Ethiopia and for this problem to be resolved quickly. We can say that they have expressed sympathy for our position,” he added.

The president of the Tigray region, department Gebr Mikael, said Thursday that the fighting is taking place in western Tigray and that federal forces are concentrating their elements on the borders of the neighboring regions of Amhara and Afar.

A diplomatic source suggested there were casualties on both sides following violent battles and artillery shelling on Thursday on a main highway linking Tigray and Amhara.

A humanitarian worker, who asked not to be named, said 25 wounded soldiers were admitted to the Amhara Health Center on Thursday, without explaining who they were fighting with.

Telephone and Internet connections to Tigray have been cut, making it difficult to try to verify which numbers.

Addis Ababa imposed a state of emergency for six months on Tigray, and Abyei’s statement on Friday said this would allow a special task force to “disarm any security forces” in the region.

It would also allow authorities to impose curfews, limit transportation and arrest anyone involved in “illegal activities” and “use proportional force to re-enforce law and order.”

For its part, International Crisis Group warned that unless the fighting is stopped immediately, the conflict will be “devastating not only for the country but for the entire Horn of Africa.”

He indicated that prolonging the fighting would drag other countries into conflict, such as Eritrea, whose president, Isaias Afwerki, is close to Abyei and hostile to the Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front, which ruled Ethiopia when it went to war with Eritrea.

Given the military strength of Tigray, where the number of soldiers is estimated at 250,000, any war would be “long and bloody” in the second most populous country in Africa, according to the group.

It could also cause more instability in the multi-ethnic country divided into states along ethnic lines. Ethiopia has witnessed many acts of ethnically motivated violence in recent years.

“There is a need for immediate and coordinated mediation – local, regional and international – to avoid entering a broader crisis,” said Crisis Group.

The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) dominated political life in Ethiopia for three decades before Abyei came to power in 2018 against the backdrop of anti-government demonstrations at the time, despite Tigrayan descendants they represent only 6 percent of the 100 million inhabitants of the country.

During the Abyei era, Tigray leaders complained of being targeted by illegal attacks as part of legal anti-corruption measures, removing them from high-ranking positions and their widespread use as scapegoats in the troubles facing the country.

The International Crisis Group said the outbreak of the conflict was “sudden but expected” after weeks of tension.

The level of tension increased when Tigray held its elections unilaterally in September, after Addis Ababa decided to postpone the national elections due to the emerging Corona virus.

After that, each side refused to recognize the government of the other, and the debate escalated until the Tigrayan chief told the people of the region on Monday that they should prepare for war, prompting the federal parliament to try to classify the TPLF as a terrorist group.