TPLF Threatens Ethiopian Airlines Flight Operations to Mekelle but it does not have control over the city at this point
Borkena Desk
TORONTO, Canada — The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) on Friday announced flight restrictions to the Alula Aba Nega Airport in Mekelle.
The party, which calls itself the Tigray Defense Force, said all flights to and from Mekelle are suspended on the grounds that the federal government is using the airline “to transport troops” to the Tigray region. It has also restricted any movement in and around the airport.
Former Tigray Interim Administration President Getachew Reda, who is currently the Ethiopian prime minister’s advisor on East African Affairs, characterized the TPLF’s announcement as a move along the path to terrorist activity. He wrote on his social media page “The defunct TPLF leadership has officially admitted to having decided to resort to classic terrorist tactics in order to remind the people of Tigray that there was once such a thing as TPLF.”
The recent conflict in the region started when the TPLF seized three airports (Aksum, Mekelle, and Shire) and arrested federal police forces posted there, along with Ethiopian Airlines staff who were later released with the intervention of the Ethiopian Red Cross. Flights were suspended to the region for about three weeks following the incident.
Last week, Ethiopian Airlines resumed six-times-daily flights to Mekelle after the Ethiopian Defense Force dislodged TPLF forces from Mekelle and several other cities in the region.
The Tigray Peace Force, an armed group that broke away from the TPLF about two years ago in opposition to war preparations and a military alliance with Eritrea, disclosed this week—as reported by the Ethiopian Reporter—that its forces and the Ethiopian Defense Force have gained control of many border towns, save for a few kebeles in the Irob district.
However, the TPLF claims military gains in a counter-offensive in the Temben area, reporting the capture of hundreds of soldiers and a military commander, Colonel Tefera Mamo. The TPLF says efforts are underway to reorganize and launch a military offensive, which it views as feasible
Neither Ethiopian Airlines nor the federal government has commented on whether flights will be suspended. There are no reports of active military operations in the Mekelle area in recent days, though the TPLF is believed to have access to fighter drones.
Additionally, the TPLF announced its rejection of the caretaker government announced by Abiy Ahmed’s administration on Friday. The administration is set to oversee the region for the next six months until elections are held. In its Friday statement, the TPLF declared that the decisions of the caretaker government will not be acceptable.
__
Join our Telegram Channel : t.me/borkena
Like borkena on Facebook
Join the conversation. Follow us on X (Formerly Twitter) @zborkena to get the latest Ethiopian News updates regularly. Subscribe to YouTube channel To share information or for submission, send e-mail to info@borkena.com
To Support Borkena : https://borkena.com/subscribe-borkena/ – one time support or small monthly options available. Inquire information about it : info@borkena.com
Here we go! ELF/EPLF/EPRP 101 from the 1960’s and 70’s. Ethiopian Airlines was one of the most hijacked and sabotaged airlines in the world then. ‘An EAL plane was hijacked today…’ was familiar news. In most cases the hijackers were sent on a one way ticket to hell by well trained and skillful patriots on board. Those old enough remember stories such as the one when all hijackers were annihilated by gallant security men aboard and in another case where the jijacker managed to force a plane full of passengers to land in the then commie nation of South Yemen. In that case the demonic hijacker got out and started wiring up the plane with full of passengers with explosive to blow up the plane at Aden International Airport. But one of those gallant security men on board saw what the demon was doing came ou and dropped him with a single shot to the head and saved countless innocent lives. Aden, Karachi and Khartoum used to be the highjackers’ destinations. I also remember the story how the security man who silenced the hijacker’ at the Aden airport was beaten unconscious by soldiers of commie South Yemen. I hope that security man is still alive to tell his his story. Debre’s warning ain’t no different. It is nothing other than terrorism. It did not surprise me because that is what all commies and their deacons/darasaas with guns are: TERRORISTS!!!! Our noble Tigre brothers and sisters there in that region and here among our Diaspora should come out and condemn this warning.
One more call about this warning by this TPLF outfit. I call upon the Western nations to sanction Debre’s ass along with his gangsters. I also call upon the UN and AU to do the same now. The ICC at The Hague has to issue arrest warrants for Debre and his associates. This warning is a gravely matter because countless innocent human beings will be murdered if Debre and his monsters carry out their plans to down and blow up defenseless civilian airplanes. This is more than dark rhetoric. This is a declaration of war on unarmed civilians. This is no different or less than the war declared by Bin Laden, ISIS and Al-Shabaab.
On the other hand, if the federal government folks use this warning as a pretext to bomb civilian quarters using their new toy drones, everyone of them at the top echelon should also be sanctioned and issued arrest warrants and their wise aleck behind should be bussed into the slammer. Every Tigre’s life is just as priceless as any Amhara, Oromo, Ethiopian life or any other human life on this good earth. Enough is enough.