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Surrounded by Ethiopian Forces, Tigray Leader: We Are Ready to Die Page all

ADDIS ABABA, KOMPAS.com – Regional leaders Tigray asserted, they were ready to die after being besieged by troops Ethiopia, during which they were asked to surrender within 72 hours.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed launched a military campaign against the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) on November 4.

The attack came after the TPLF was accused of storming two military camps in the north, and trying to destabilize Ahmed’s government.

Also read: Ethiopian Conflict: PM Abiy Ultimatum Tigray Forces Surrender in 72 Hours

Government troops now explain that they are besieging the region’s capital, Mekele, and taking positions within a 60 kilometer radius.

The siege was followed by threats that the military would launch a bombardment against the city, which has a population of half a million.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, last year’s Nobel Peace Prize laureate, called on Tigray’s leadership to surrender in the next three days, threatening no way for them to escape.

But the leader of the TPLF, Debretsion Gebremichael, insinuated that it was Ahmed who had suffered defeat, and the threat appeared to buy time.

“He does not understand who we are. We are people with firm principles and are ready to die defending our rights here,” said Gebremichael.

Reported AFP Monday (23/11/2020), the internet disconnection in the area made claims from the government and TPLF unverifiable.

Also read: The Ethiopia-Tigray Conflict: What’s the Trigger and What’s Happening?

“No mercy” threat

Brigadier General Tesfaye Ayalew was quoted by Fana as saying they were ready to move towards Mekele after capturing cities in the north and south.

The military has threatened to “mercilessly” bomb the city, and appealed to civilians to evacuate as quickly as possible. Raise concerns from human rights activists.

“Threatening entire cities is not only wrong. It’s also considered a form of collective punishment,” said Human Rights Watch researcher Laetitita Bader.

Ahmed himself has called on the people of Mekele to join the government, so that they submit the TPLF and be brought before the court.

Hundreds of people were reported killed inside war The last three weeks, where Addis Ababa has deployed tanks and bombers to areas controlled by TPLF.

Also read: The Ethiopian Conflict, A Summary for You

Amnesty International even documented a massacre in Mai-Kadra, in which hundreds were stabbed or mutilated.

Tens of thousands of people have had to flee to Sudan, where rockets have hit Eritrea. Raising fear this conflict could spread.

In a statement released Sunday (11/22/2020), Ahmed accused Tigray’s forces of destroying infrastructure while being pushed back.

Among the important facilities destroyed by TPLF included airports in the city of Axum, schools, bridges, hospitals, and important roads.

The 44-year-old PM even opposed calls by the African Union to stop shooting. Calling this operation “law enforcement” against “traitors”.

Also read: The Chronology of the Ethiopia-Tigray Conflict: Civilians Slaughtered, 25,000 Displaced

The TPLF has a history in which they led a war that overthrew the brutal Derg regime in 1991, and ruled Ethiopia for three decades until Abiy Ahmed won in 2018.

Since then, Tigray’s leaders have complained about how they are treated unfairly as if they were removed from government posts.

In addition, they are also scapegoated for the corruption that has hit and the various crises that are hitting Ethiopia.


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