News: Fed. gov’t accuses TPLF of plotting fresh attacks; says withdrawal from Afar, Amhara regions a must for unhindered humanitarian access

By Getahun Tsegaye @GetahunTsegay12

Addis Abeba – “The federal government hasn’t created any problem for the international community to deliver aid to the Tigray region but TPLF did,” Ambassador Dina Mufti, the spokesperson of the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), said at today’s biweekly presser to the local media. He also accused the TPLF of planning to inflict another round of attacks.

The Ambassador further said that the TPLF must leave the areas it controls in the Amhara and Afar regions for the continued deliverance of unhindered humanitarian aid. On the same note, he said, “Ethiopia is facing shortages of aid from the international donors,” further explaining that there have been many people in Ethiopia, particularly in Tigray, Afar, Amhara, and Oromia and also some other areas, who are in need of aid. It, however, has been a challenge to satisfy these demands. ” We’re lacking international donors, ” he said.

“it’s really a paradox that while the Ethiopian government has been doing all possible things, including the unhindered humanitarian truce, the draft of the two bills is a punitive measure. We are demanding the U.S. to drop them.”

Ambassador Dina

Without giving further details, the spokesperson said government was aware of TPLF’s intentions to launch another round of attacks. “While the government and other stakeholders are undertaking great efforts to end the war and restore peace and unhindered humanitarian access, TPLF’s plan to wage attacks is alarming,” he said.

Asked how contradictory it is for the international community to appreciate the recent declaration of a humanitarian truce on one hand and the US’ draft HR.3199 and HR.6600 bills on the other, the ambassador said: “it’s really a paradox that while the Ethiopian government has been doing all possible things, including the unhindered humanitarian truce, the draft of the two bills is a punitive measure. We are demanding the U.S. to drop them.”

Before concluding the presser, ambassador Dina stated that 2,382 Ethiopian citizens have been repatriated from Saudi Arabia this week alone and so far over 15,300 stranded citizens have been transported to their homeland. AS