Embattled Ethiopian leader issues national call to arms
ETHIOPIA’S prime minister has urged “all capable Ethiopians” to join up and fight advancing Tigrayan fighters in what amounts to a call for total war.
In the statement yesterday, the office of the embattled leader Abiy Ahmed called on his countrymen and women to give an “irreversible response” to the Tigrayan forces.
It came less than two months after Mr Abiy announced a unilateral ceasefire following the defeat of his forces in the battle for Tigray’s capital.
“Now is the right time for all capable Ethiopians who are of age to join the Defence Forces, Special Forces and militias and show your patriotism,” the Nobel Peace Prize-winner said.
“Every Ethiopian must work closely with security forces in being the eyes and ears of the country in order to track down and expose spies and agents of the terrorist Tigray People’s Liberation Front [TPLF].”
He added that it was time “to halt the destruction of the treasonous and terrorist TPLF organisation and the machinations of foreign hands once and for all”.
Ethiopia’s civil war has been escalating since June when Tigrayan forces made a stunning advance out of their guerrilla positions in the mountains to retake the regional capital of Mekelle. Mr Abiy’s statement did not mention the ceasefire.
Over the last few weeks, TPLF and its allies have recaptured much of Tigray and advanced into the neighbouring Amhara and Afar regions. They say this is to break an aid embargo on the region. However, Mr Abiy accused Tigrayan forces of not allowing farmers to plant crops and stopping aid.
The war has left tens of thousands dead and millions on the brink of starvation. Mr Abiy claimed that his government “made all efforts humanly possible to ensure that the people of Tigray are not put to harm as a result of the vicious nature of [the TPLF]”.
Both Ethiopian and Eritrean forces, which joined together to try to crush the Tigrayans, stand accused of committing an array of atrocities in the region, including ethnic cleansing, gang rape and massacres.