Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy returns to Addis Ababa from the battlefield Abiy Ahmed News

Abiy says the first phase of the conflict against Tigris forces is over, but said the fight is “not over yet.”

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed says he is returning to the capital Addis Ababa from the battlefield after pro-government forces in recent days called for major advances against Tigris forces.

After the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) announced major land gains as part of a march on Addis Ababa in the midst of the November 2020 conflict, Abiy announced last month that he would go to the battle front, handing over his usual duties. to his substitute.

Since then, state media have aired images of a uniformed Abiy, a former lieutenant colonel in the army, because the fighting took place on at least three fronts.

“Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali has returned to office for a moment after the successful completion of the first phase of the ‘Operation of the National Union for Diversity’,” Abiy’s office said in a statement on Twitter.

In a statement, the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize winner said he was returning to the office “because he had completed the first phase.” [of the conflict]”.

“The fight is not over yet. We have unreleased areas, ”he added.

“We should offer a long-term solution so that the enemy who tested us is not again a danger to Ethiopia.”

AFTERNOON @AbiyAhmedAli he will return to the office for a moment after the successful completion of the first phase of the ‘Operation for National Diversity’.#PMOEtiopia https://t.co/mH6mg1D8dW

– Office of the Prime Minister – Ethiopia (@PMEthiopia) December 8, 2021

In recent days, the government has announced that it will reclaim several towns, among others UNESCO World Heritage Site of Lalibela famous for its 16th-century rock carvings.

On Monday, the government announced its strength he recaptured strategic cities Dessie and Kombolcha.

The TPLF has rejected the government’s claims, saying the rebels were making strategic withdrawals and remained undefeated.

The prospect of Addis Abba falling into the hands of rebel forces prompted countries such as the United States, France and the United Kingdom to flee Ethiopia as soon as possible.

However, the Abiy government has said that the gains of the rivals are excessive and that the city is safe.

Ceasefire efforts

On the other hand, Olusegun Obasanjo, Special Representative for the African Branch of the African Union, is leading a push to focus on a ceasefire, but so far little progress has been made.

The seeds of the conflict have sparked fears of spilling over into the fragile East African region, and last month Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta called on both sides to lay down their arms.

Obasanjo visited Kenya on Wednesday, the Kenya office said, adding that the two men had “discussed various issues relevant to Kenya, the region and the African continent” without giving further details.

The war erupted in November 2020 when Abiy sent troops to the northern Tigray region to overthrow the TPLF government – he said, in response to attacks on federal army camps.

But the forces of Tigray he returned, restoring most of Tigray in June, including the regional capital Mekelle, before expanding to the adjacent Amhara and Afar regions.

Fighting has killed thousands, displaced more than two million and left hundreds of thousands starving to death, according to UN estimates.