Ethiopia to rebels: Surrender or face law enforcement

By Addis Getachew

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AA) - Ethiopia on Friday issued, what it described as, a “final notice” to the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) fighters to surrender or face consequences.

“The government is calling on senior TPLF military and political leaders, who are suspected to have played a key role in the crime, to surrender peacefully to the law enforcement agencies,” a statement issued by the prime minister’s office said.

It said: “TPLF’s top military and political leaders who do this will save themselves from severe punishment and prevent misery of their people. However, to the senior military and political leaders of the TPLF who do not respond to this last call to bring themselves to justice, the government states in advance that all necessary measures will be taken to enforce the law.”

“It is an established fact that the dominant group within the TPLF violated the constitution and other basic laws of the land in attacking the defense forces, which are the hope and pride of the country,” the statement said.

On Nov. 4, the Ethiopian government launched a massive law enforcement operation against the TPLF forces who attacked the Northern Command of the National Defense Forces, killing soldiers and looting sizable military hardware.

On Nov. 28, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed declared the military campaign over after the fall of the regional capital Mekele to the federal army.

The conflict in the Horn of Africa country has seen 70,000 people internally displaced while more than 60,000 fled fighting to neighboring Sudan.

The TPLF fighters hiding out in the bushes have been launching sporadic attacks since November.