Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced on Friday that the military operations launched by his forces in the Tigray region (north) have clear and limited objectives when fears of a prolonged war in the country are increasing.
"The objectives of the ongoing operations being carried out by the Federal Defense Force in northern Ethiopia are clear, limited, and achievable - restoring the rule of law and constitutional order and protecting the rights of Ethiopians to live in peace, wherever they are in the country," Ahmed wrote in a tweet.
His statements came after the army announced on Wednesday that it had entered a war against the "Tigrayan People's Liberation Front" after months of tension between Addis Ababa and the party that led Ethiopia in practice for decades before Abiy came to power.
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Abiy Ahmed[/caption]
The Ethiopian premier said that his government had "patiently tried for months to peacefully resolve differences with the leaders of the TPLF. We resorted to mediation, reconciliation and dialogue."
"But all (the attempts) failed because of the criminal arrogance and intransigence of the Tigray People's Liberation Front. The front's attack on the Northern Military Command, which is based in Tigray, was the straw that broke the camel's back."
On Wednesday, Abiy, who won the Nobel Peace Prize last year, announced that he had ordered the launch of military operations in Tigray in response to an "attack" by TPLF members against an army camp in the area.
The LTTE denied the attack and accused Abiy of fabricating the story to justify the army’s deployment in Tigary.
The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, expressed his grave concern about the situation and called for "an immediate de-escalation of tension and a peaceful resolution of the conflict."
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