On Friday, a top Ethiopian military official stated that the country’s military is planning to enter the Tigray regional capital of Mekelle and “eliminate” rebellious forces amid diplomatic efforts to end conflict in the country’s north.
The Horn of Africa country has been gripped by war for more than a year, with federal military and its allies battling forces loyal to the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), the political party that controls Tigray. This week, two top US diplomats flew into Addis Ababa to push a ceasefire, trying to build on tentative signs of a thaw in relations between warring parties, including the release of political prisoners.
In an interview with state-affiliated media outlet Fana broadcast late on Friday, Ethiopian Defence Forces (EDF) deputy army chief General Abebaw Tadesse stated that the country would not be at peace until TPLF was eliminated. He stated, “Tigray is part of Ethiopia and no force will stop us from entering. We will enter and we will eliminate the enemy. There should not be any confusion about this. The people of Ethiopia should not think that it is over, it is not over. The main thing here is we have stopped because we have to prepare ourselves. This enemy is still there and it has to be absolutely eliminated. We will not negotiate with them.”
