Ethiopia’s PM goes to the battlefront as rebels march on Addis Ababa

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in military dress as he joins the frontline against TPLF [File photo]

ADDIS ABABA - Embattled Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has finally joined the Ethiopia National Defense Forces [ENDF] frontline, state media has reported, days after he vowed to join the fight against Tigray Defense Forces [TDF].

Government Communications Minister Legesse Tulu disclosed that Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed is now leading the counteroffensive from the frontline to eliminate TDF. The Tigray rebels as fast advancing to the capital Addis Ababa.

Last month, Abiy Ahmed, who took over in 2018, has been asking civilians to join the war after TDF managed to push further south, taking over some huge swathes of Afar and Amhara regions.
Other senior government officials have also immediately responded to the call made by the Prime Minister to save Ethiopia and joined the campaign, he added.

Already, PM Abiy Ahmed donated powers to Deputy Prime Minister Demeke Mekonnen, who is running regular government activities. Legesse added that the decision made by the Premier has inspired many to follow his examples and join the survival campaign.

The resolution of the Premier manifests his leadership capacity and longstanding history of the resilience of the nation, he added.

He called on Ethiopians to support the survival campaign with diplomatic, economic, and other spheres, underlining that the war waged against the nation is not using weapons.

The war has been waged by allied terrorist groups on the other hand and forces that are engaged in perpetration to hold back Ethiopia’s journey to a better future on the other side, Legesse explained.

Calling all to support the survival campaign, the Minister added that the foreign media are continuing dissemination of fake news against Ethiopia and fabrication of distorted stories ranging from “A bull gives birth to a calf” story to news formulated based on unreal ideas that have never been said by any official of the government.

Several countries have recalled their citizens from Ethiopia, with the UK, France, and the US leading from the frontline. The TDF said it's 230km north of Addis Ababa, threatening to run over the capital in the coming months.

The TDF has also maintained that it is not ready for talks until certain conditions are met. The war has taken slightly over a year and thousands of people have been killed in the process according to aid agencies.

GAROWE ONLINE