Ethiopia’s TPLF claims it tactically withdrew from Dessie, Kombolcha

ADDIS ABABA — Ethiopia’s rebellious Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) has confirmed yesterday’s government takeover of two strategic towns in Amhara region after which the government seemed to be making huge gains against the insurgent group.

The towns had been seized by the TPLF in October during a rapid advance along Highway 2 toward Addis Ababa.

They penetrated as far as Debre Sina, about 130 kilometers from the capital, before being halted late last month.

Debre Sina’s fall, and concurring alarmist reports in Western media that Addis’ collapse was imminent and foreigners should flee the city, helped push Abiy into taking direct control over the military.

The army recapture of the towns was first announced by the Government Communications Service saying in a brief statement that federal forces under direct command of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed had recaptured Dessie and Kombolcha which had fallen to the rebels in October.

But the TPLF spokesman Getachew Reda claims that the government forces entered the two towns without resistance as the insurgent group was making a tactical ‘territorial adjustments’ to possibly make a comeback.

“We left North Shoa, Kombolcha & Dessie as part of our plan. There was no organized unit to ‘liberate’ these towns and the residents know it & #Abiy’s generals know it. Things are going according to our plan. The rest is just circus,” the TPLF mouthpiece said in a tweet.

While signaling the tactical withdrawal yesterday, Getachew claimed that they had beaten the ‘enemy’ in several fronts including Dessie saying the rebel movement will win in the end.

“Our territorial adjustments are already taking shape. From Tarma Ber all the way through to Dessie, we have crushed enemy contingents big’n small. Quite simply Abiy & his partners are no match for us. There are so many tactical, operational & strategic considerations behind our move,” he said.

“While none of these considerations will detract from our primary objective of ensuring the safety & security of our people; we are confident we will be far better placed to achieve far more illustrious goals in the few weeks ahead,” he added.