MICHAEL R. POMPEO, SECRETARY OF STATE tweeted today that “We strongly condemn the attack by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front against Eritrea and the attempt to internationalize the conflict. We urge the TPLF and the Ethiopian authorities to take immediate steps to de-escalate the conflict, restore peace, and protect civilians”.
Ethiopians all over the country have honored the National Defence Force in an observance of a 2mn activity starting from 11:30 AM this morning.
Responding to the national call, all Ethiopians across the country have taken part in the 2mn national ceremony held under the motto “I Stand With the National Defence Force” placing their hands on their right heart for one minute and clapping their hands for one minute at the same time wherever they are.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and President Sahle-Work Zewde along with other high ranking officials have joint the national 2mn observance held to honor the National Defence Force.
Religious leaders, renowned politicians and other public figures have also attended the 2mn national ceremony.
Moreover, members of the Diaspora living abroad have also expressed their solidarity with the National Defence Force observing the 2mn activity in recognition of gallantry of the army at the operation underway to ensure rule of law in the country.
State of Emergency Spokesperson, Ambassador Redwan Hussien briefed the international media yesterday for second round on latest developments in Ethiopia.
In the second briefing session organized to make clear the international media on what is happening in Ethiopia, Ambassador Hussein said the TPLF Junta has admitted that it committed treason against the National Defence Force in Tigray.
He said that the government is taking action against the renegade group of TPLF in a view to ensure rule of law in the country.
The massacre of innocents carried out by the TPLF special force and military in Maykadra is a crime against humanity, said the spokesperson adding civilians including women and children heinously killed in the area.
He told the media that the TPLF Junta carried out rocket and missile attacks at Gondar, Bahir Dar and other place in Amhara Regional State, and killed innocents in Mai-Kadra who are not from Tigray to instigate revenge in other parts of the country and widen the problem it incited.
The motive was to provoke other Ethiopians to attack Tigrean people everywhere as retaliation, and this heinous motive has been thwarted, he said.
TPLF Junta ringleaders are trying to create hysteria among the Tigray people as if the national Derence Forces are attacking the region.
Ringleaders of the TPLF Junta do not care about the people they were leading, push peasants and teenagers to war as they teach their sons and daughters abroad, it is indicated.
People of Tigray will breathe the air of freedom like other Ethiopians once the Junta is brought to Justice, he said.
The TPLF Junta is trying to escalate the issue by attacking neighboring countries and internationalize the case and make is spiral, and are creating humanitarian crisis to get attention of the international community, he noted.
National Defence Forces keep on destroying the weaponries of the TPLF to contain their intention to escalate the issue, he stated.
Regarding some misleading reports from the international media about Uganda-led mediation between the federal government and TPLF, Ambassador Redwan said that Ethiopia has never asked any country to mediate as its position is clear from onset.
We never heard a question from Uganda about the matter, he said, adding that Ethiopia has never asked Uganda or any other country to mediate because our position was very much clear from the onset.
Ethiopia has sent a delegation to Uganda and the entire region, and the tour will covers around six countries, particularly IGAD member countries, he disclosed, adding “It has nothing with mediation”
The delegating was interested to deliver the message of the Prime Minister which augments buttresses and make it further clear that we don’t need mediation until we bring the ring leaders to court.
“Because any mediation would incentivize impunity and unruliness, so any partner who wishes the holding together of Ethiopia, and then the government has to be supported to make sure that the law of the land is upheld.”, he urged the international community.
To equate the government with any sub national entity would threaten the very existence of the country, he stressed.
“Any country and partner should put itself in our shoe. Would any country in the world allow an entity in a district or a country who openly claims to have a rocket or missile and vow to attack its headquarter and dismantle the country and openly attack its defence forces?”, he stressed, adding “which country in the world be asked to sit down and negotiate with such sub national unduly group?”
“So if any country does not wish to do it if it happens on its soil, the same is true in Ethiopia for the government is taking action against the treacherous group from sub region in the country in a way to maintain law and order and territorial unity of the country.”, the State of Emergency spokesperson said.
The law enforcement operation would be a short-lived and law and order is imminent in the Northern part of the country and the whole nation as well, the spokesperson underlined.
We sent a delegation that would look out facts on the ground and then will come up with a plan as to how actually take care of the humanitarian crisis in the northern part of the country where law enforcement measures are underway.
Ethiopia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Demeke Mekonnen have held talks with Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta in Nairobi yesterday.
On the occasion Demeke also delivered a special message to President from Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and briefed him on the political and security situation in Ethiopia.
The Deputy Prime Minister’s briefing mainly focused on the gains made from the socio-economic and political reforms carried out over the past two and a half years.
He said the destructive forces of TPLF have made various attempts to deter the ongoing reforms by sponsoring different extremist groups in various parts of the country.
Despite government’s patience and efforts to handle the situation carefully, the TPLF sponsored conflicts have claimed the lives of several Ethiopians and caused damages to properties, he said.
Moreover, the TPLF forces recently attacked the north command of the national defence forces in the northern part of the country and killed several military personnel and civilians, he said.
Demeke said the law enforcement operations launched in Tigray is an internal affair and aimed to bring to justice these destructive forces and contain the threat posed to the unity and sovereignty of the country.
Stating that Ethiopia and Kenya have for long served as anchor states for regional peace and stability, President Kenyatta has called on the Government of Ethiopia to wrap up soon the law enforcement operations in the country.
የአገር አንድነትና ህብረት ምልክት ለሆነው ከጀግናው መከላከያ ሰራዊት ጎን እቆማለሁ!ማዕክሰኞ ህዳር 8 ቀን 2013 ዓ.ምረፋድ 11፡30 am
H.E. Gedu Andargachew, National Security Advisor to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed conveyed the prime minister’s message to the president of Djibouti, H.E. Ismaïl Omar Guelleh today (November 16) underlining Ethiopia’s commitment to uphold the rule of law, restore the constitutional order and bring criminals to justice in the operation underway in Tigray.
President of the Republic of Uganda Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has announced in facebook that he had discussions with the Ethiopian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister, Demeke Mekonnen and his delegation at Gulu State Lodge.
President Yoweri Museveni stated that their discussion focused on the peace and security issues affecting Ethiopia currently.
“Being one of the oldest countries that was not colonised in Africa, Ethiopia is the pride of the continent.”, President Yoweri Museveni added.
A delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen has been holding official visits to East African countries.
The visit is aimed at explaining the government’s position on the ongoing law enforcement operation against the TPLF junta and its effort to put the plot to destroy the country under control, according to a press release of Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
To make the position of the government clear about the situation and the measures being taken, the delegation will visit more than six countries where it would also deliver the message of the prime minister, it was learned.
The government has abundantly made it clear that the operation will be carried out without any external force intervention to bring the traitor extremists to justice.
The delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen will explain the just cause of the government and rally support for the effort to make the rule of law prevail in the country.
Meanwhile, the ministry has dismissed the fake news disseminated by the extremist group that Uganda would be mediating the government and the TPLF clique, the release said.
The press release underscored that the government would bring the treasonous group that first attacked the national defense force and defied the constitution for quite a long time now to justice and ensure the prevalence of law.
Ambassador Tibor Nagy, Assistant Secretary for U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of African Affairs tweeted today that “The United States strongly condemns the TPLF’s unjustifiable attacks against Eritrea on November 14 and its efforts to internationalize the conflict in Tigray. We continue to urge immediate action to protect civilians, deescalate tensions, and restore peace”.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen said the operation in Tigray is progressing swiftly with utmost priority given to the protection of civilians.
In areas of the Tigray region that are freed from the TPLF junta, the government is providing humanitarian assistance to the community, he added.
The minister said this while he was presiding over a series of webinar meetings held yesterday with several Ethiopian mission leaders, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The webinar meetings aimed to exchange views on the missions activities regarding the ongoing operation in Tigray.
The mission leaders have presented briefings on their engagements regarding the operation with various concerned bodies at regional and international levels.
The mission leaders said they made the objectives of the operation in Tigray clear enough to all stakeholders.
They said they were able to make relevant bodies understand the federal government’s commitment to end the culture of impunity in the region and bring the criminals to justice.
They said they have continued to inform stakeholders that the operation would soon end, ensuring the prevalence of the rule of law and restoration of the constitutional order in the region.
They underscored that relevant government bodies should continue providing fact-based information about the operation to the public and media outlets.
This would help mainstream media to self-correct itself and come up with balanced journalistic outputs with genuine narratives, they added.
Ethiopian missions and the Ministry should give special attention to combatting disinformation and misinformation on the social media outlets, they said.
In concluding the meetings, Demeke underscored that the missions should encourage the Ethiopian community living abroad to continue their ongoing financial, moral, and intellectual support to the operation.