September 13,2015
Mola Asgedom -leader of Tigray Peoples Democratic Movement is in Ethiopia according to report published in Amharic by what is said to be government affiliated media agency – Fana Broadcasting
The report indicated that Mola Asgedom, along with what Fana Broadcasting says more than 700 rebel army, crossed to Sudan first before arriving in Ethiopia. Tigray peoples Democratic Movement was an armed rebel group based in Eritrea with an alleged objective to fight Tigray People Liberation Front led Ethiopian government.
Fana Boadcasting claimed that Mola Asgedom’s force wiped out Eritrean forces before returning to “its motherland.”
On the contrary, widely read Sudan Tribune cited Anadolu News Agency, which is based in Turkey, to report that Mola Asgedom and 683 members of Tigray Peoples Democratic Movement were evacuated with the involvement of Sudan authorities who seem to have, according to the report, succeeded to mitigate escalation of clash between Eritrean forces and Mola Asgedom’s forces. Seven members of Mola’s forces were killed apparently by the action that Eritrean forces took. As well, the report added that Mola Asegedom and his forces handed over their weapons to Sudanese authorities.
According to Sudan Tribune report, Mola Asgedom’s deserting force clashed with Eritrean army in Omhajer on Friday morning before being rescued by Sudanese forces.
What is not clear from Sudan Tribune’s report is that it didn’t highlight how the Sudanese forces ended up in the situation of evacuation mission within the Eritrean border. And that leads to the possibility that Sudanese authorities were probably contacted by Ethiopian authorities.
It is also not known why Mola preferred marching west towards Sudan rather than crossing the boarder south – directly to Ethiopia.
People both from the opposition camp and supporters of the TPLF led government are celebrating the news for different reasons. The former for security reasons and the latter for reason/s of much needed political meaning that Mola’s action has for the regime in Ethiopia.
In the opposition quarter, the news is celebrated that Mola deserted in the aftermath of formation of united front between four rebel entities ,including TPDF, before he conspired in a way to obstruct the next move of the rebel forces. And some added that Mola might have been a TPLF spy for a good portion of his stay in Eritrea as a rebel force.
And supporters of the TPLF led government seem to be celebrating the news on grounds the incident proves the point that it is axiomatic, in their eyes, that the armed opposition movement based in Eritrea is not feasible.
There are reports that even TPDM’s rebel forces still in Eritrea are well over 20,000 and they have joined forces with other rebels. Ginbot 7-Arbegnoch – a coalition that was formed earlier played an instrumental role in the formation of united Front which is allegedly related to why Mola Asgedom defected – in the account of some observers.
The Ethiopian government is expected to issue a statement on the incident, according to report by Fana broadcasting.
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