Almasirah:Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Says He Will Lead Troops Battling Tigrayan Rebels

Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Says He Will Lead Troops Battling Tigrayan Rebels

News - World: Ethiopia’s prime minister, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, says he will head to the war front to lead soldiers battling rebels in the northern Tigray region.

Abiy Ahmed issued a battle call on Monday night as Tigrayan rebels appeared to be closing in on the capital, Addis Ababa.

“Starting tomorrow, I will mobilize to the front to lead the defense forces,” the prime minister said in a statement posted on Twitter late on Monday. “Those who want to be among the Ethiopian children who will be hailed by history, rise up for your country today. Let’s meet at the battlefront.” He said the US-led Western countries were “meddling” and desperately trying to defeat Ethiopia.

Ethiopia and the US, long-time allies, have turned against each other in recent months. In the most recent hostile action, US President Joe Biden decided to shut out Ethiopia from a trade program that gives sub-Saharan African countries duty-free access to the United States.

The statement by the 45-year-old prime minister came as the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) rebels continued to press toward Addis Ababa. The rebels have claimed to be within 200 kilometers by road of the capital.

The government says rebel gains and the threat to Addis Ababa are overstated.

The rebels say they are pressuring Ethiopia’s government to lift a months-long blockade of Tigray, but they also want Abiy out of power.

Envoys from the African Union have been engaged in diplomatic efforts in pursuit of a ceasefire. African countries have warned that Africa’s second-most populous country could fracture and destabilize the rest of the region.

Source : Press TV

#Ethiopia About 3 years