TPLF, a terrorist designated group on Wednesday, August 24 resumed fighting in the Northern part of Ethiopia, outrightly undermining calls and efforts aimed at peaceful resolution of the conflict in Tigray.
The group at around 5am made an attack on the Eastern Front in Bisober, Zobel, and Tekulesh directions.
By carrying out these attacks, TPLF have officially violated the Ceasefire, according to the country’s Communication Service.
“The federal government of Ethiopia has been taking steps to bring the war in the northern part of Ethiopia to a peaceful conclusion. However, the terrorist organization, as well as its foreign backers, have expressed a strong desire to continue fighting,” reads a statement in parts by the country’s Communication Service.
“In the last six months, they have been committing various provocations, boasting with false claims. They have been committing various provocations, boasting with false claims. They tried to attack from the west several times and were always defeated”
“Despite their repeated attempts to attack through South Tigray, the government has thwarted their efforts and prevented the situation from worsening by stating that the main solution is the path of peace,” reads the statement.
In March this year, the Federal Government of Ethiopia led by Prime Minister, Dr Abiy Ahmed, declared an indefinite humanitarian truce to facilitate the free flow of humanitarian aid into Tigray region as well as giving an opportunity to peaceful negotiations.
While announcing the humanitarian truce, government said thousands of people from Tigray were trekking into neighboring regions in search for assistance.
Considering this fact, government said, the situation warranted urgent measures to assist the locals, thus committing to exert maximum effort to facilitate the free flow of the needed aid.
This happened at the backdrop of the fact that TPLF uses starvation through interrupting the flow of humanitarian support into the Northern region, stealing the ready to harvest food and consuming the stockpiled one.
Much as government asked TPLF to desist from acts of aggression and withdraw from areas they occupied in neighboring regions, no signs of such were seen. TPLF still occupied some areas in Afar and Amhara regions and as well continued with provocations.
Alao read: https://plusnews.ug/u-s-says-tplf-still-occupy-areas-in-afar/
They on several occasions, commandeered humanitarian vehicles that entered Mekelle. It is worth noting that the group also rejected to observe the government declared Unilateral Ceasefire in June 2021.
TPLF’s belief that continued fighting in Tigray and neighbouring regions would Ethiopia force Addis Ababa to succumb and give-in to the North is frustrating all the possible negotiations.
In April, Ethiopia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs said TPLF was mobilizing a massive number of fighters to areas adjacent to the Amhara and Afar regions to wage another devastating war.
The group had written an open letter to the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on April 21, 2022, threatening to launch another round of attack if its demands are not met.
At the end of July this year, the government of Ethiopia facilitated a visit to Mekelle, the Capital of Tigray, for the UN special envoys and Ambassadors from EU, USA , France Germany, Italy and UK.
During the visit, Redwan Hussien, Security adviser of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, revealed that Ethiopia is ready to negotiate with TPLF without preconditions. Instead, TPLF rejected to cooperate and opted for war to once again unleash terror and war crimes on the people of Tigray and the neighbouring regions.
The TPLF resumed the attack a few days aftee the Ethiopian Government unveiled three pronged Peace Proposal – peace talks towards an agreed ceasefire, an in-depth political dialogue for a lasting settlement and addressing pending issues through a national dialogue.
A couple of days back, World Food Program (WFP) CHIEF, David Beasley blamed the TPLF for robbing over 570, 000 liters of fuel from the compound (warehouse) of WFP in Tigray.
Government of Ethiopia has been calling on the International Community to pressure the TPLF to stop its offensive, and engage in the AU-led peace efforts.
At the start of this Month, Horn of Africa envoy Olusegun Obasanjo briefed the bloc’s Peace and Security Council on his progress in resolving the conflict.
The AU council called on the warring sides “to place the supreme interests of Ethiopia and its people above all else and embrace inclusive political dialogue as the only viable approach towards finding a consensual solution to the current situation.”