ADDIS ABABA, July 8 — Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Tuesday accused forces in the northern Tigray region of preparing for renewed conflict through intensified forced military conscription, while insisting the federal government remains committed to peace.
Addressing the House of Peoples’ Representatives, the lower chamber of the Ethiopian parliament, Abiy accused the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) of inciting violence and aggravating the suffering of people in the region.
“Despite their repeated provocations to trigger a fresh round of conflict, the government continues to exercise the utmost restraint and patience,” Abiy told the parliament.
According to Abiy, more than 60,000 TPLF combatants were disarmed and reintegrated into civilian life, while infrastructure reconstruction has also been underway since the signing of the Pretoria peace agreement.
Noting that the government is fully aware of the root causes of the instability, Abiy said the necessary measures would be taken to conclusively neutralize threats at their source.
He said the government has the full capability to safeguard Ethiopia’s sovereignty and maintain lasting peace.
The TPLF recently announced that it had regained control of the Tigray region, a move the federal government said violated the Pretoria peace agreement that ended the two-year conflict between the two sides.
In November 2022, the Ethiopian government and the TPLF signed a cessation of hostilities agreement in Pretoria, South Africa, to end a two-year conflict.(Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
