News Analysis: Amhara region calls nations & nationalities, retired soldiers to mobilize against Tigrayan forces; Army says on standby when ordered

By Getahun Tsegaye @GetahunTsegay12 

Addis Abeba, July 14/2021 – In a continuing escalation of the conflict between Amhara and Tigray regions signaling a full blown war between the two regions, the Amhara regional state issued a statement where it discussed current affairs and issued again a call to arms urging retired soldiers as well the nations, nationalities and peoples of Ethiopia to stand by it in the fight against TPLF. 

The lengthy statement accused the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF),  of committing atrocities against Amharas and other people of Ethiopia, weakening the country, compromising sovereignty, disgracing Ethiopia’s national pride by damaging its social fabric by promoting what they described as ‘false ideologies’ and violating international law by committing war crimes and deploying children as soldiers. 

The statement further accused TPLF of undermining the efforts by the Prosperity Party of unifying the nations, nationalities and peoples. It said, “It is a known fact that the absence of TPLF’s role as the sole decision making body, led to its refusal to acknowledge the emerging political party and by default undermining the role of  nations, nationalities, and peoples.” The statement went on to back the accounts of the federal government about the sequence of events regarding the cause of the armed conflict in Tigray, painting any other sequence of events as false. 

In an apparent departure from the federal government position on the unilateral ceasefire it announced earlier in June of this year, Amhara regional state criticized the decision by describing it as being “ to the advantage of TPLF”. The statement claimed that as TPLF forces consequently  started to attack and invade Amhara and the rest of Ethiopia. It urged the federal government and the people of Ethiopia to understand that the Amhara region and its people are directly vulnerable to TPLF’s attacks.

The statement by the regional state echoed earlier calls to arms by one of the region’s zones administration to the residents of the region. The statement read, “Because our struggle is an issue of survival for our people and an issue of sovereignty of the entire country, we call for unity to confront our common enemy,” it added, “Any attack or invasion from any direction on the common border should be considered by the whole Amahara region’s people as an existential issue.”

It further called to arms the nations nationalities and peoples of Ethiopia and retired soldiers, arguing in defense, “We believe the peoples of Ethiopia want the law enforcement operations against TPLF to resume. The terrorist TPLF will stop its mission of dismantling the country only when we safeguard its sovereignty and national integrity by collaborating against a common enemy.”

The Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF in reaction to the regional state statement said through its spokesperson Colonel Getinet Adane, “The ENDF has the capacity to take any necessary actions when called upon.” The Colonel who spoke to a local newspaper explained that conditions of the ceasefire apply to inflammatory statements as well as military engagements. AS