NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 4- The Federal government of Ethiopia has declared a 6 month state of emergency in Tigray region, the prime minister’s office announced on Tuesday.
In a statement shared after an extraordinary meeting by the Federal Council of Ministers, the office said the decree is aimed at preventing further acts of violence that may lead the country to continued unrest and instability.
The office expressed fears that violent activities within the National Regional state of Tigray are threatening the country’s sovereignty and seriously impending the Federal government from discharging its constitutional responsibility in the region.
“Understanding that this situation has reached a level where it cannot be prevented and controlled through the regular law enforcement mechanism, the state of emergency is decreed for a period of six months and a state of emergency task force to be led by the chief of staff of the Armed forces, composed of representatives from pertinent institutions and accountable to the Prime Minister has been e established through the state of emergency decree,” read the statement.
The decree was issued hours after the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) allegedly attacked the Ethiopian National Defence Forces base located in Tigray region in what was declared as an attempt to steal artillery and military equipment.
Following the attack Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said the TPLF has been arming and organizing irregular militias outside of the constitutionally mandated structure and while viewing the Ethiopian National Defence forces as a foreign army.
He added that despite months of continued provocation and incitement to violence by TPLF which he said went as far as using a local textiles factory to to manufacture military outfits resembling that of the Eritrean National Defence Forces to implicate the Eritrean government in false claims of aggression against the people, the federal government has maintained a policy of extreme patience and caution in order to avoid harm on the people of Tigray.
“While the Federal government has used all means to thwart a military engagement against the TPLF, a war however cannot be prevented only on the goodwill and decision of one side, but on the mutual choice for peace by both parties.”
“The last red line has been crossed with this morning’s attacks and the Federal government is therefore forced into a military confrontation,”Abiy said in a statement.
Tigray region has held most of Ethiopia’s political power by producing presidents of the country until 2018 when Mr Abiy was elected.
On Monday, Tigray’s president told journalists that the aggression against the federal government was punishment for organising its own election for the region’s parliament in September in contravention to an earlier decision by the electoral board to postpone all elections.
Want to send us a story? Contact Shahidi News Tel: +254115512797 (Mobile & WhatsApp)
