The Ethiopian Prime Minister awarded the Nobel Peace Prize went to the battlefield, his government announced on Wednesday, in the fight against insurgent forces in his country.
State media did not show pictures of Abiy Ahmed, the 45-year-old ex-soldier, and Billene Seyoum’s spokeswoman declined to comment on his whereabouts. It reached the front on Tuesday, according to a government spokesman.
Tens of thousands of people have lost their lives in the war between Ethiopian federal and allied troops and fighters from the Tigray region of the country. The prospect of disintegration of the ancient nation has worried both Ethiopians and observers who fear what would happen to the often troubled Horn of Africa in general. Countries such as France, Germany and Turkey have told their citizens to leave immediately.
Abiy was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize just two years ago for sweeping political reforms and for peace with neighboring Eritrea. His journey from winning the Nobel Prize to his current possible participation in the battle has shocked many.
However, a move to the front would follow in the footsteps of Ethiopian leaders, including Emperor Haile Selassie and Emperor Yohannes IV, who was killed in battle in 1889, according to Christopher Clapham, a retired professor associated with Cambridge University.
“It seems to me a very traditional leadership exercise from Ethiopia,” Clapham said.
The Tigray forces, which had long dominated the national government before Abiy came to power, seem to have the momentum. They have approached the capital, Addis Ababa, in recent weeks with the aim of strengthening their negotiating position or simply forcing the prime minister to resign.
Unusually, the movement of a leader to the front has taken place elsewhere in Africa, but at times with deadly consequences: Chad’s longtime president, Idriss Deby Itno, was killed while fighting insurgents in April, according to the military.
“The situation is extremely dangerous,” said Adem Abebe, a researcher at the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance. “If (Abby) is injured or killed, not only the federal government but also the army will collapse.”
The prime minister announced earlier this week that he would go to the battlefield, saying “this is the time to lead a country”. Meanwhile, the deputy prime minister is handling the day-to-day running of the government, spokesman Legesse Tulu said on Wednesday.
Abiy also called on Ethiopians to join him – the last call for every capable citizen in the country, with more than 110 million people, to fight. There have been reports of hasty military training and allegations of conscription in recent months, with analysts warning that with the military ostensibly weakened, ethnic-based militias are on the rise.
“He may be seriously considering becoming a witness,” said Awol Nobel laureate Awol Allo, a senior law lecturer at Keele University in Britain.
All said the move matched the prime minister’s view and sense that he was destined to lead. But he also did not rule out the possibility that Abiy may simply have left the capital for a safer location – not on the front – and lead the war from there.
The war began in November 2020, when a growing political rift between Tigray leaders and the Abiy government erupted in open conflict. Abiy quietly allowed Eritrean soldiers to enter Tigray and attack the Tigrayians, resulting in some of the worst atrocities of the war. For months he denied the presence of the Eritreans.
Tigray forces had said they wanted Abiy to leave, among other demands. The Abiy government wants the Tigray forces, which it has designated a terrorist group, to withdraw to their area.
“Unless there is some kind of divine intervention, I see no chance of a peaceful solution through dialogue, because the positions are very polarized,” said Kassahun Berhanu, a political science professor at the University of Addis Ababa. Abiy’s announcement of a move to the front “aims to boost popular morale”.
Millions of civilians are trapped and starving in the midst of fighting. The Ethiopian government has been blocking the Tigray region for several months, saying it fears humanitarian aid will end up in the hands of militants, while hundreds of thousands of people in neighboring Amhara and Afar areas are unable to provide significant assistance as Tigray forces move in. from these areas.
One of the targets of the Tigray forces appears to be the supply line from neighboring Djibouti to the Ethiopian capital, and the US envoy warned the fighters not to cut off this road or enter Addis Ababa.
That could be “catastrophic” for the country, US envoy Jeffrey Feltman told reporters on Tuesday.
African Union envoy Olesegun Obasanjo also mediated, but has not spoken publicly about his work in recent days.
Gebrselassie is also at war
Ethiopian gold medalist and national hero Haile Gebrselassie pledged on Wednesday (24/11) to take part in the fight against insurgent forces in his country, after the prime minister said he had gone to lead the war from the “front line”.
The 48-year-old former champion, who set 27 records in long distance racing, admitted to Reuters that he felt compelled to participate, since the existence of Ethiopia is threatened.
After saying he believed sport was about “peace and love”, he defended his decision to take part in the fight against the “Tigray” insurgents and their allies, who last month threatened to enter the capital, Addis Ababa.
“What would you do when the existence of a country is at stake? You just put them down. Alas, nothing will bind you. I am sorry!” said the great African athlete.
The clashes have been going on for about a year and have killed thousands of people, forcing more than 2 million to flee their homes and leaving 400,000 people in Tigray starving.
It escalated sharply after insurgents threatened to march on the capital, leading to international efforts to calm the situation after the ceasefire was violated.
On Wednesday (24/11) state media reported that Prime Minister Abig Ahmed had gone to lead the war from the “front line”. Gebrselassie described the conflict as a battle in which the threat to Ethiopia was a threat to all of Africa.
“Ethiopia is a country that has contributed a lot to Africa and the whole continent,” he said. “Yes, it is an exemplary country. Kneeling in Ethiopia is like indirectly kneeling the rest. This is impossible.”
In an interview in his office in the capital, where he runs more than a dozen companies dealing with hospitality, real estate, agriculture and education, Gebreselassie referred to the role he was prepared to play in the war.
“Wait until I say death?” “Yes, that’s the ultimate price in a war,” he said. “There is no way I can sit here for fear because he will come to my door. He will come to my house. We will not know when it will come. We will not know who will do what “.
AP
AP,
.
