Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Says Army Will “Destroy” Tigray Rebels

Former Ethiopian long-distance runner Haile Gebrselassie (center) said he is determined to “sacrifice himself and defend Ethiopia” (AFP / EDUARDO SOTERAS)

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“You are completely destroying the enemy, and there is no going back without winning,” said Abiy, the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize winner, in a 34-minute clip posted on his office’s Twitter page on Saturday.

“We will win, the enemy is dispersing, there are areas that we have to control,” he added.

“Until we defeat the enemy, we will not rest.”

Abiy announced this week that he would begin leading operations against the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, which once dominated national politics but waged a terrible war with his government last year.

This announcement has led to new hires in Addis Ababa.

The country’s most famous distance runner, Haile Gebrselassie, told AFP that he was determined to “sacrifice himself and defend Ethiopia.”

He added that the TPLF “destabilizes our country outside its region.”

On Wednesday, state media announced that Abiy had handed over his usual duties to his deputy.

His move came after the Tigray Liberation Front made major territorial advances, claiming this week to have captured a city 220 kilometers (135 miles) from the capital Addis Ababa.

The TPLF sided with other armed groups, including the Oromo Liberation Army, which is active in the Oromia region surrounding the city.

On Friday, state media showed what they described as the first images of Abi, the former lieutenant colonel, in uniform at the front, including an interview in which he promised to “bury the enemy.”

He also said that the army had captured Kasajita and planned to retake the Chivra district and the city of Burka in the Afar region adjacent to Tigray, the stronghold of the Tigray Liberation Front.

Independent media have been largely denied access to war-affected areas in recent weeks.

Visiting forces: Addis Ababa officials organized a party on Saturday for athletes and artists heading north to visit troops.

Among those who said they would fight is Feyisa Lilesa, a distance runner and Olympic silver medalist.

War broke out in early November 2020 when Abiy deployed forces to Tigray to overthrow the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, a move he said came in response to TPLF attacks on army camps.

While promising a swift victory, by the end of June the Tigray People’s Liberation Front had regrouped and recaptured most of Tigray, and has since advanced into the neighboring regions of Amhara and Afar.

The African Union’s special envoy for the Horn of Africa, Olusegun Obasanjo, is leading a diplomatic push for a ceasefire, but there have been few signs of progress so far.

International concern is growing over a possible rebel attack on the capital, with the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy on the list of countries urging their citizens to leave Ethiopia.

France joined the group this week and plans on Sunday to take some citizens on a chartered plane.

The government insists that the rebels’ advances have been exaggerated and blames what it describes as sensational media coverage and alarming security warnings from embassies for creating panic.

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