Published 08:21 IST, November 8th 2020
Ethiopian air strikes in Tigray will continue, says PM amid increasing civil war risks
Ethiopian PM Abiy Ahmed accused the TPLF of attacking a federal military base and trying to steal equipment. He said "the last red line" had been crossed.
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Ethiopia bombed the Tigray region on Friday and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed pledged more air strikes, escalating the fear of a civil war. The crisis in Ethiopia is not sudden and has been building up for months. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, on November 4, had ordered the military to confront Tigray regional government after he said it carried out a deadly attack on a military base overnight, Associated Press reported.
Situation intesifies in Ethiopia
A statement released by the PM‘s office accused “well-armed” Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) of attacking the country’s forces. With Ahmed's declaration that “the last red line has been crossed,” experts now fear that a war in the region is imminent. In a televised address to the nation on November 4, Abiy announced that “several" were martyred in the attack in Mekele, the northern Tigray region’s capital, and Dansha. The Nobel Prize-winning leader also added that “the end is near” for the regional force, which is based in the neighbouring state of Eritrea.
In September this year, the Tigray region had conducted elections despite orders from the federal government to postpone all kinds of polls due to the coronavirus pandemic. Speaking to BBC, Tigray region’s President had said that the federal government was not going to punish them for holding polls and launch a full-fledged attack on the region. Meanwhile, the National Electoral board of the nation has declared it illegal.
Also, during a recent press conference in Addis Ababa, the deputy army chief, Berhanu Jula hinted towards a “war” with the Tigray region when he said that the country has entered into a war which was not at all anticipated. He further said that the war is shameful and senseless.
Late in October, Ethiopia condemned US President Donald Trump’s comments that the country could “blow up” the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) that straddles the Blue Nile, as it accused the United States President of ‘inciting war’. Trump was speaking with respect to the national security of the two countries downstream the reservoir, Egypt, and Sudan, while he was brokering the normalizing of Sudan’s ties with Israel. "They will end up blowing up the dam," Trump said, referring to Ethiopia, adding, “I said it and I say it loud and clear, they'll blow up that dam. And they have to do something,” as he addressed the US press.
(Image Credits: AP)
08:21 IST, November 8th 2020