NAIROBI (Somaliguardian) – Commander of Ethiopia’s Tigray forces said a recent offensive by regional fighters on neighboring regions, including Amhara and Afar were part of efforts to force the government of the Ethiopian prime minister Abiy Ahmed to accept their terms for a ceasefire.
Tsadkan Gebretensae, in an interview with the BBC on Sunday, stressed that “the entire region is under blockade by the prime minister Abiy Ahmed” and his forces were fighting to “break the blockade” with Afar being one area to do this.
“All of our military activities at this time are governed by two major objectives: One is break off the blockade that has been imposed on the entire population of the people of Tigray,” Gebretensae said.
“Second is to force the government to accept our terms for a ceasefire and then for a dialogue for the political situation in Ethiopia.”
Asked if his forces were fighting to reclaim Tigrayan territory still held by Amhara troops, General Gebretensae noted that “Amhara militias are still in western Tigray, but that is not a tit for tut military operation and at the end of the day we will definitely regain our territory”.
The senior Tigrayan military official said “blockade has to be lifted” to allow humanitarian access to Tigray region, Ethiopia must stop the “persecution of Tigrayans in Addis Ababa” and “release all political prisoners” before a ceasefire agreement could be reached.
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