Ethiopian Prime Minister Orders Domestic Offensive Over Alleged Attack On Military Base

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 04th November, 2020) Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has mobilized the army to confront the authorities of the northernmost Tigray region, accusing them of an attack on a local military base, his press service said on Wednesday.

The defiant region is ruled by the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF). In September, they asked the federal government to hold local elections, which were earlier postponed over COVID-19. After getting a rejection, the party organized an election on its own which the central government never recognized as legitimate.

"In the early hours of November 4, the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) attacked the Ethiopian National Defense Forces Base located in Tigray region and attempted to rob the northern command of artillery and military equipment," the prime minister's office said in a press release.

According to the press release, the TPLF have sought weapons to arm paramilitary troops in the region "in the past few weeks." The prime minister's office also accused the disobedient party of provocations and incitement of violence "over the past months," such as dressing their forces in military uniforms resembling those of neighboring Eritrea in a bid to conduct false-flagged interventions.

"The last red line has been crossed with this morning's attacks and the Federal government is therefore forced into a military confrontation. The Ethiopian National Defense Forces, under the direction of a Command Post, have been ordered to carry out their mission to save the country and the region from spiraling into instability," the press release read.

Shortly later, the Office of Ethiopian Prime Minister issued another press release announcing a state of emergency in Tigray for a period of six months in light of "illegal and violent activities [that are] endangering the constitution and constitutional order"�and the impossibility of control and prevention via regular law enforcement mechanisms.

Ahmed urged people to remain calm and vigilant. According to media reports, the military operation has already begun.