The National Defense Force of Ethiopia today set free the town of Adigrat from the Tigray People Liberation Front (TPLF) whose militia attached northern command of Ethiopian army on November 4, 2020.
After the TPLF militia attacked the northern command of Ethiopian army based in Tigray Region, the federal Government of Ethiopia was forced to launch a defensive attack. The defensive attack quickly turned into an offensive that liberated most of the towns in Tigray Region of Ethiopia from the former rebels, who also ruled Ethiopia from May 1991 to the coming of Abiy Ahmed to power in April 2018.
Refusing to accept the end of their dominance in the ruling coalition when Abiy Ahmed was elected as leader, the old guards of TPLF has been acting as opposition of the ruling coalition (Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Democratic Front – EPRDF) they established in 1983 in the neighboring Sudan when they were in the bush. Some of the hardliners of the TPLF who were charged severe human rights crimes involving tortures of prisoners, mega corruption, among others, have decided to run and hide in Mekele, where they have been orchestrating the latest attack on the northern command of Ethiopian Army. Among the most wanted ones include the former spy chief, Getachew Assefa.
meanwhile of the progressive members of the TPLF have decided to join Prosperity Party led by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed merging the coalition into a united national political party which brings aboard the ruling parties of the peripheral regions of Ethiopia – Somali, Afar, Harari, Gambella and Benishangul Gumz.
As the Ethiopian army has vowed to continue its advance until it captures the leaders of TPLF who are charged for treason and liberate the capital of Tigray Region, Mekele, where the last battle is expected in the coming few days.
The towns liberated fully from TPLF are expected to return to normal by the Tigray Interim Administration established by the Ethiopian government involving the people of Tigray Region and various political actors. The decision is made after Ethiopian Government has declared a six months state of emergency in Tigray Region following its military engagement with TPLF militia.
Reports show that currently the Ethiopian Army is heading to Mekle from different directions. Though using international media some Oromo extremists, activists and families and business partners of the TPLF hardliners living abroad have been trying to bring in international mediators to rescue them, the Ethiopian Government has refused to accept the pressure stressing that it is a matter of restoring rule of law in Ethiopia like it did recently in different parts of the country such as Somali, Region and Wellega area against the Oromo Liberation fighters.