Araweelo News Network.
Tigray, Amhara fighting spreads in region, TPLF releases 1,000 troops
>Hundreds of people and media outlets arrested in Addis Ababa
Jigjiga(ANN)-The President of the Somali Regional State of Ethiopia, Mustafe Muhumed Omar (Cagjar), has explained why he has sent troops to the Tigray region of northern Ethiopia, which has been embroiled in a protracted conflict for the past nine months since November 2020. The Ethiopian federal government, with the help of neighboring Eritrea and Amhara militias, has seized control of the region, but the TPLF has recaptured it.
Fighters in Tigray (TDF), in recent days, have taken control of large swathes of territory captured by Amhara militias several months ago, intimidating the Amharas and calling for troops to be reached, fearing the Tigrayan fighters, and specifically urging the Somali region to with troops.
Meanwhile, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has called for the deployment of troops to fight the Tigrean rebels TDF and TPLF, which means that the Federal Government and the forces that Ethiopia was proud of have disappeared.
Mustaf Cagjar said the decision to send troops to Tigrey came at the request of the Ethiopian federal government, claiming that the Tigrean war was not between two ethnic groups but between the TPLF and the federal government. “Their departure is in response to a call from the central government, particularly the prime minister, to take part in the overall defense against the TPLF terrorist group, which plans to overthrow the current system,” said President Mustafe.
Many in the Somali region of Ethiopia have rejected the decision, saying it was “hostile” and “inappropriate,” but Mustafe Cagjar said before sending troops to the Tigrean region they had consulted. He said that after consultations, they had decided to send troops to Tigray.
He described the decision to send troops to Tigray as pro-TPLF, saying, “The pro-TPLF Somali faction in the area and others like it are very keen to make this happen. “It is a war between the Ethiopian government and the TPLF,” he added. “It is a war between the Ethiopian government and the TPLF.” Mustafe Cagjar said in an interview with the BBC.
in the past few days Oromia have sent troops to the region, but Oromo elders and intellectuals have strongly opposed the move, calling for an end to the Amhara insurgency and for no troops to be sent to Tigray. This is an oppressive move by the Amharas to occupy land they do not own.
Meanwhile, the Tigreans carried out operations against pro-federal government forces in neighboring Afar region yesterday, a TPLF spokesman said on Sunday. The “very limited” action targeted Special Forces and militia fighters. From the Oromia region, Ethiopia’s largest, who were gathering along the border between Tigray and Afar, TPLF spokesman Getachew Reda told AFP.
“We took those actions to ensure those forces are sent back to Oromia, and we have managed to do that,” Getachew said, adding that there were some casualties but he could not provide figures.
“Our action was very limited to dispersing the peasant militia from Oromia that was mostly press-ganged into fighting the useless war.”
Violent fighting is currently raging between Amhara and Tigray, and the Afar administration has been silent on calls for it to send troops to the region, with Tigray fighters launching a major offensive to regain control of western and southern Tigray. They started there, where there are key areas, some of which are farmland inhabited by militants from the Amhara region, which borders Tigray and the south, but Prime Minister Abiy has vowed to repel Tigray, The government has arrested several hundred people in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, in recent days, as well as Christian media outlets, all of which have been accused of collaborating with the TPLF.
The incident comes a day after Debretsion Gebremichael, leader of the Tigrean People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), told Reuters by satellite phone late Friday that they had released 1,000 low-ranking soldiers.
Debretsion Gebremichael, said that they are still in control of more than 5,000 (soldiers) were still present, these prisoners, according to continue to keep seeking, adding that senior officers will face trial, “said, Debretsion Gebremichael.
The TPLF, which recently took control of the region, claimed to have captured 10,000 federal and militia prisoners through Makelle streets. But the federal government has not commented.
Published by Araweelo News Network.
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By Arraale M Jama Freelance Journalist and Human Rights activist.
info@araweelonews.com
