Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed urged citizens to join the country's armed forces to fight the rebels of the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), who had occupied territories in the Afar and Amhara regions in the latest offensive
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 10th August, 2021) Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed urged citizens to join the country's armed forces to fight the rebels of the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), who had occupied territories in the Afar and Amhara regions in the latest offensive.
"Our Defense Forces, Regional Special Forces and Militia are directed to halt the destruction of the treasonous and terrorist TPLF organization ... Now is the right time for all capable Ethiopians who are of age to join Defense Forces, Special Forces and militias and show your patriotism," the prime minister's office said in a statement.
On August 6, the TPLF forces had reportedly captured the city of Lalibela, a UNESCO World Heritage site, in the Amhara region in northern Ethiopia.
The fighting in Tigray broke out in November after the Ethiopian government accused the TPLF of attacking a regional military base to hijack weapons and arm the anti-government militia. The Ethiopian forces launched a military operation in the embattled region, with Eritrea sending its troops to help Addis Ababa, precipitating a severe humanitarian crisis.
