Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia also commander in chief of Ethiopian Army has given 72 hours for the Tigray People Liberation Front (TPLF) leaders to surrender within 72 hours.
The TPLF leaders, which he described as Junta, has attacked Ethiopian military based on November 4 last week to rob army artilleries. The leaders of TPLF have lost their dominance in Ethiopian politics after the ruling coalition voted for Abiy Ahmed in April 2018.
Since then most of the TPLF leadership have refused to accept their defeat vowing to come to power at any cost. As a result the tension between the federal government led by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and the former rebel fighters who ruled Ethiopia from 1991 till April 2018 has been growing leading to a military confrontation.
During the leadership of TPLF dominated coalition, Ethiopia has witnessed major human rights violations, which includes chopping legs of prisoners.
During the arms struggle the TPLF with Oromo, Amhara and Southern people parties have established a ruling coalition Ethiopian Peoples’ Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), which has been leading the country for close to three decades.
After the coalition elected Abiy Ahmed as its leader, as per the previous decisions made by the congress of EPRDF, he transformed the coalition into a united party Prosperity Party, which for the first time bring aboard the leading political parties of the Somali, Afar, Benishangul Gums, Gambella, and Harari regions of Ethiopia.
As reported by @amnesty, videos of survivors from the TPLF massacre in Northern #Ethiopia are emerging. The victims say they were selected and attacked by armed TPLF militiamen for being of the #Amhara ethnic group. @AsstSecStateAF @KarenBassTweets @RepChrisSmith @AdeolaFayehun pic.twitter.com/KNdauwFCie
— Ethio-American Development Council (EADC) (@EA_DevCouncil) November 14, 2020
Meanwhile, the TPLF hardliners now leading the fight against the federal army hiding in Mekelle refused to join the coalition and those who are wanted for mega corruption and massive human rights crimes including the former intelligence chief, Getachew Assefa have run to hide in Mekele, the capital of Tigray Region in Northern Ethiopia, the the recently established Sidama Region of Ethiopia.
Before EPRDF was turned into a united political party, people from the five regions – Somali, Afar, Gambella, Harari and Benishangul were not entitles to rule Ethiopia as the TPLF- dominated ruling coalition has sidelined them from actively taking part in Ethiopian politics with the purpose of advancing its ethnics politics that divided the country into ethnic lines introducing a new controversial constitution.
To resolve the issue peacefully, the federal government has been reluctant to use force and bring the fugitives to justice indicating that the action could lead to death of civilians in Tigray Region as “the TPLF junta” is using the Tigray people as human shield and hostage.
I appreciate the cogently argued position. No negotiations with terrorists that attacked military installations & committed crimes against humanity & war crimes. Justice will be served! #Ethiopia https://t.co/T2sd1Oh4Uw
— Fitsum Arega (@fitsumaregaa) November 14, 2020
Finally last week when the TPLF Junta has massacred Ethiopian army soldiers attacking the northern army command in Tigray Region, the federal government has launched a defensive targeted military attack against the TPLF trained militia and special forces.
In the past ten days, the Ethiopian army has managed to set free many towns of Tigray Region from the control of TPLF militia and using air force targeted attack it managed to destroy heavy arsenals the former rebels vow to use for attacking the capital Addis Ababa. As the military defensive of the federal army turned into an offensive, the TPLF militias who began running have reportedly massacred hundreds of civilians before leaving the places as documented by Amnesty International.
In its statement the Office of Prime Minister indicated that in the late hours of Nov. 13, 2020, a rocket was fired towards Bahir Dar & Gondar cities. As a result, the airport areas have sustained damages. “The TPLF junta is utilizing the last of the weaponry within its arsenals. Details of the incident is currently under investigation,” it said.
If the TPLF leaders refuse to surrender until tomorrow the federal army is expected to take full fledge military attack against the junta currently sandwiched by the army cornering them from different directions. Ethiopian officials have been saying that the major targets of the military operation of the federal government is to bring to justice the leaders of the TPLF junta, whose amnesty not to be prosecuted, and set free the people living in Tigray region from the dictatorship administration of TPLF like other parts of Ethiopia.
In the late hours of Nov. 13, 2020, a rocket was fired towards Bahir Dar & Gondar cities. As a result, the airport areas have sustained damages. The TPLF junta is utilising the last of the weaponry within its arsenals. Details of the incident is currently under investigation.
— Ethiopia State of Emergency Fact Check (@SOEFactCheck) November 14, 2020
Reports coming from the neighboring Sudan, which closed its border with Tigray Region, shows that many weapons including RPGs are seized from arms smugglers who attempted to send it to the TPLF junta last week.