Addis Ababa, December 7, 2021 (FBC) – In a press briefing, Press Secretariat of the Office of the Prime Minister Billene Seyoum told journalists that there have been remarkable gains made thus far by the Defense Forces and the regional forces.
Billene indicated that the joint forces being led at the forefront by a Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed retook the strategic towns of Dessie and the industrial town of kombolcha among many other towns from the terrorist TPLF.
“In addition to many strategic locations that have been taken over by the National Defense Forces over the past two weeks, yesterday’s feat is a strong blow to the terrorist groups that is currently in disarray”
“It has to be noted that a week ago up to 12 of its senior ranking military personnel were taken out. The national forces continue to apprehend TPLF fighters in great numbers” Billene said.
Many militants are heeding the call that had been extended earlier this week to surrender, and are surrendering to the defense forces, she said.
“It is inevitable that there would be a lot of destruction in the aftermath of TPLF occupation of the town of many towns in Amhara and Arar regions. TPLF has left behind an overwhelming amount of destruction of public and private property, as well as loss of many lives”, the Press Secretariat noted.
In addition to the destruction of property, directly affecting many lives, there is evidence emerging across many towns of grave atrocities and human rights abuses being inflicted by TPLF upon innocent civilians in those towns, she said.
“In Gashena and Antsokiya Gemza Woreda of North Shewa Zone, we have reports of mass killings that have been undertaken by the TPLF on innocent civilians. Similarly, there are also vast reports of rape that are emerging across these towns that were also occupied by TPLF” Billene stated.
“Again, while these are initial testimonies that we are sharing and that are surfacing, further investigations are needed to expose these grave human rights violations and also to hold the group accountable”, she added.
“At this point in time for the federal side, there are investigators on the ground gathering as much evidence as they can. Yet it’s also important over here to highlight that the failure of some Western countries and international organizations to look into these massive human rights violations and atrocities committed by their invading TPLF forces in the areas of the Amara, and afar regional regions makes it clear that there might be some politically motivated and double standard position when it comes to the way that human rights issues are addressed in Ethiopia, particularly by this by these groups”, she indicated.
As per the reports that have been received from the National Disaster Risk Management Commission and the Emergency Coordination Committee the spillover of the Tigray conflict in Amhara region is estimated to have displaced more than 1.4 million people in the region, Billene underlined.
Following the recent military victories against TPLF forces in Amhara region, the government has allocated over 28,000 metric tons of food for more than 2 million people in 24 Woredas of North Wollo, North Shewa and South Wollo Zones, Billene said.
The first 13 trucks loaded with more than 5,000 quintals of different kinds of food have been dispatched to Ghana and Lalibela, she stated.
“In Afar, we have now is that more than 1.3 million people are in need of immediate emergency response. And more than or close to 400,000 people have been displaced from 17 Woredas directly as a result of TPLF aggression and belligerence in the region” the Press Secretariat outlined.
There are some partners that are engaged in the distribution of around 64,000 quintals of food to conflict affected people. So, around 7500 emergency shelter and non food items have been distributed in Galina and Chifra Woredas in Afar Region.
“The data latest figure that I have is that a total of 203 trucks have arrived in Tigray with humanitarian supplies and this has reached Mekelle. Members of the international community that have been raising concerns about lack of humanitarian assistance Tigray region, are still silent on the hold up of 900 trucks by the TPLF that could be used to transport food and non food items” Billene said.
“And there is growing evidence to suggest that there is a refusal on the TPLF side to return these trucks, and it is still using these trucks to move around its combatants from place to place and also to transport the looted items from areas it has been routed out from.”, she added.