As the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) announced concluding its major operation in Tigray region by liberating almost all towns in three weeks, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Sunday met with high-ranking military commanders and members of the interim administration in the capital of the region Mekele.
“Went to Mekelle and met with commanders of the ENDF as well as the Provisional Administration of Tigray. Telecom & electricity currently being restored after repairs; infrastructure works underway & humanitarian relief provided. We will continue apprehending the criminal clique,” he twitted. Acting more of as leaders of an independent country, since last month TPLF leaders who were in full control of the whole Tigray Region of Ethiopia, have been bragging that they will bury anyone crossing the border of Tigray region including the soldiers of the National Defense Force of Ethiopia.
The federal Government of Ethiopia and Tigray Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF), which has been in charge of leading the Tigray region have been in military confrontation since the first week of last month. The two sides went into clash after the TPLF militias attacked the northern military base of the federal government based in Tigray region in an attempt to overtake the arsenals deployed in the region since the Ethiopia-Eritrea border fighting in 1998.
The TPLF has been in power in Ethiopia since May 1991 as the dominant party in the ruling coalition – Ethiopian Peoples’ Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF). Meanwhile after the EPRDF, which is composed of three ethnic and one regional political parties, has elected Abiy Ahmed from Oromo party, the TPLF and federal government have been at loggerheads.
Refusing to accept the defeat in the coalition and the coming to power of a leader they can’t control, the hardliners of TPLF have been opposing almost all the reforms launched by the Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who came to power as reformist after years of popular protests that led the resignation of the former Prime Minister Haile Mariam Desalegn.
Refusing to accept the decision of the Ethiopian Parliament that postponed the general election of the country supposed to take place last May, TPLF hold its own general election in Tigray region and declared 100 percent victory. That incident was followed with refusing to accept an army official appointed by the federal government to be in charge of the northern army command in Tigray.
Not long after the TPLF hardliners, which have been preparing for war against the federal army for over two years confirmed that on November 4, 2010 they have attacked the northern army command to control the artilleries and comeback to central power with arms struggle in few weeks.
Reacting to the attack Ethiopian army has been engaged in an offensive, which liberated the whole cities of Tigray region from the TPLF leaders who are now wanted for treason. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed who is also commander in chief of the national Defense force of Ethiopia has talked to his army generals and members of the Interim Administration of Tigray Region established by the Ethiopian parliament.
During the discussion, Prime Minister stated that the army and the interim administration will be focusing on rebuilding the damaged infrastructures in Tigray region and rehabilitation of the people displaced by the military confrontation described by the federal government as operation to restore rule of law.