Photo: Twitter
Ethiopia’s prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, has vowed to lead his country’s troops “from the battlefront”, the latest dramatic step by the Nobel Peace prize winner in a devastating year-long war with rebel groups.
“Starting tomorrow, I will mobilise to the front to lead the defence forces,” Abiy, said in a statement posted on Twitter on Monday.
“Those who want to be among the Ethiopian children who will be hailed by history, rise up for your country today. Let’s meet at the front.”
Abiy’s statement came as the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) rebel group continued to press towards Addis Ababa, claiming control of the town of Shewa Robit, just 220km northeast of the capital by road.
Tens of thousands of people have been killed in the war between Ethiopian and allied forces and fighters from the country’s northern Tigray region. A de facto blockade on Tigray has triggered a humanitarian crisis and prevented the delivery of essential medical supplies.
The US and others have warned that Africa’s second-most populous country could fracture and destabilise the whole Horn of Africa.
Read more.
