Tigray militants launched operations in Afar last weekend, targeting pro-government forces massed along the common border between the two regions, while government officials reported the killing of 20 civilians and the displacement of tens of thousands fleeing the fighting.
“All the people of Afar must protect their land by any means available, whether with guns, sticks or stones,” Afar regional chief Awal Arba said in an interview broadcast by state media. “There are no weapons that can make us kneel. We will win this war with our strong determination.” “, according to “AFP”.
The Afar region is one of the 9 regions in Ethiopia, and is of strategic importance to the country that does not have any sea port, as railways linking Ethiopia with Djibouti and then to the Red Sea pass in the east of the region, so it is considered the beating lifeline of Addis Ababa.
The expansion of the scope of the confrontation between the Tigray Liberation Front and the Ethiopian army, according to observers, portends a dangerous military escalation and prolongation of the confrontation, which has left thousands of dead and hundreds of thousands of displaced during the past months.
In an interview with “Sky News Arabia”, writer and political researcher Musa Sheikho considered that the opening of the Afar Front complicates the situation in Ethiopia, where several parties will seek to control the international road linking Djibouti to Addis Ababa.
Shekho added: “The goal behind opening this front is to put pressure on the central Ethiopian government, and to have a maneuvering card in the event of any negotiations starting.”
He continued, “Inside Ethiopia, there is support, mobilization, and demonstrations in support of the government forces and the army, which collides with the escalation in Afar. Things are very complicated, and if the fronts are not calmed down, we will see more escalation.”
On the possibility of negotiations between the Ethiopian government and the Tigray Liberation Front, Sheikho explained: “There are statements with an escalatory tone, and there are also military movements on the field, and regional parties call for dialogue and to sit at the negotiating table. Everyone should understand that internal conflicts are not resolved by the conflict militarily, and Ethiopia may I’ve tried that before.”
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source https://pledgetimes.com/ethiopia-afar-region-calls-for-arms-to-confront-tigray-fighters/
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