Ethiopia warns TPLF rebels mobilizing to launch yet ‘another devastating’ conflict

ADDIS ABABA – The Ethiopian government has alleged that the rebel Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) led by Debretsion Gebremichael is mobilizing thousands of fighter for a possible onslaught to continue what the government said would be another ‘devastating’ conflict.

This comes after the rebel group announced in a statement that it no longer has presence in Afar region after several calls from the international community for it to do so as fears have grown over safety of humanitarian aid convoys crossing from Afar to the Tigray region.

In a statement, the Ethiopian government said the TPLF was threatening in a letter to the international community to launch another conflict should demands it put forward be not given, and said the rebel group is mobilizing for war.

“TPLF has written an open letter on April 21, 2022, to the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres threatening that it will launch another round of attack if its demands are not met,” the ministry of foreign affairs said in a statement.

“TPLF is mobilizing a massive number of fighters to the areas adjacent to the Amhara and Afar regions to wage another devastating war based on a fabricated narrative,” the statement added.

The statement said “the international community should understand that the claims of the TPLF are baseless and are aimed to thwart the peace-building initiatives of the government, including the truce that seemed to create an understanding between the government of Ethiopia and the international community.”