Ethiopian premier castigates TPLF for initiating war ‘it cannot win’

ADDIS ABABA – Ethiopian Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed has castigated the rebel Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) for initiating a conflict that the rebel group – which is considered a terrorist organization in there – cannot win, saying the decision to go to war with the northern Tigray region’s rebel group was imposed on the Ethiopian army despite attempts for peaceful solutions.

In a statement, the Ethiopian premier said the decision by the federal government to go to war against the TPLF was not guided by ’emotion’, but are in line with what he said would be a lasting benefit for the people of Ethiopia, adding that the “Operation for Unity in Diversity” has enabled the government to drive out the rebel group from two regions of Amhara and Afar.

The Ethiopian leader went on to say that recent decision by the government to order federal forces to stay without proceeding attack into Tigray region was taken with care and that “Any approach that doesn’t put lasting benefit into consideration might directly or indirectly add impetus to our enemies. It gives terrorist organizations a pretext to prolong their existence.”

“The campaign declared to weaken Ethiopia is multifaceted. The existential threat takes place not only in an overt way, it also has an implicit nature,” the Premier explained, adding that “The military, diplomatic, economic and information warfares declared against Ethiopia are being carried out in a coordinated and wistful manner.”

Ahmed said while the government was trying to peacefully resolve disagreements with the Tigray politicians, the TPLF, unhappy about the reform that earned him a Nobel Peace Prize, opted to choose war against the federal government which Abiy said the Ethiopian government has tried to avoid at all costs.

“The government preferred a peaceful way to address circumstances in order to prevent the nation from humanitarian crises and economic pressures, and to protect peace and security of citizens. But the terrorist TPLF preferred the destructive way. And, the criminal group committed a brutal attack on the Northern Command of the National Defense Force,” he said.

“An attack against the national army is an attack against the sovereignty of the nation,” he underlined, adding that “the attack of the terrorist group was aimed to dismantle Ethiopia.”