TDF parade captured Ethiopian soldiers in Mekelle and took them to jail
TIGRAY, Ethiopia – Thousands of Ethiopian national defense forces [ENDF] soldiers marched through the streets of Mekelle, the regional administrative capital of Tigray, before being taken to various prisons in the region which have witnessed massive war crimes over the past eight months.
ENDF troops withdrew from the Tigray region on Monday after months of violence, rape, torture and murder targeting civilians and TDFs, in what Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed called a strategic move in due to “financial constraints” and international pressure to pave the way for humanitarian aid. assistance.
But TDF, which criticized Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, rejected calls for a ceasefire, arguing that “we have defeated them, we are now following them in hiding places”. The ENDF warned that “we will come back to Mekelle if necessary”, with Abiy Ahmed warning that “they do not try to attack the Amhara”.
Photos taken by the New York Times showed thousands of ENDF soldiers captured during the war marching through Mekelle before being taken to jail. The entire Tigray region is now under TDF control following the exit of ENDF troops, Eritrea and Amhara regional forces.
The Ethiopian government has dismissed the “defeat” account, calling TDF a “terrorist group spreading lies in the country”. Abiy Ahmed has already insisted that his operations to restore order to the Horn of Africa nation will continue in the coming weeks.
According to the New York Times, a 14-year-old girl rushed down the street to run alongside the column, shouting her admiration for the leader of the Tigrayan forces, calling him a “lion.”
“All these soldiers tried to kill us,” said the young girl, Mearge Gebroemedhin, moments later, referring to the Ethiopian government forces. “But the Tigrayan soldiers showed mercy. I am proud of our soldiers.
While some in the crowd mocked the soldiers, onlookers focused much of their anger on Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy.
Almost eight months earlier, Mr. Abiy had sent his forces to Mekelle to wrest power from the region’s rulers, saying the move was necessary because the Tigrayans had held local elections without federal government permission and attempted to seize an Ethiopian military base. .
Now the victorious Tigrayan rulers are back in Mekelle, reoccupying their old offices.
In a lengthy exclusive interview shortly after arriving from his mountain refuge, Debretsion Gebremichael, the leader of the ruling Tigray People’s Liberation Front, said his fighters captured more than 6,000 Ethiopian soldiers.
He said Tigrayan officials had been in contact with the International Committee of the Red Cross and would soon release lower-ranking soldiers, but would keep the officers in detention.
Under the Geneva Conventions, prisoners of war must be provided with food and clothing, and be protected from violence, intimidation and “public curiosity”. There was no immediate indication that the Ethiopian soldiers had been mistreated or whether marching them through the streets of Mekelle was in violation of the Conventions.
Since Ethiopia announced a unilateral ceasefire on Monday and pulled its troops out of Mekelle, Tigray has experienced blackouts, telecommunications and internet. The consequences will worsen an already dire humanitarian situation, according to the United Nations.
International aid agencies have warned of an impending humanitarian catastrophe and said it was not clear whether the rebel victory would allow international aid to begin reaching those most in need in the country. Tigray region, which is bordered by Eritrea to the north and Sudan to the west.
The UN says at least 350,000 people in the conflict-ravaged region have entered a state of famine. The United States Agency for International Development has estimated that 900,000 people are facing famine. “
The United Nations Security Council discussed Ethiopia’s humanitarian crisis on Friday, accusing the ENDF of blocking major supply routes. The UN has called on the Ethiopian authorities to cooperate to promote peace and stability in the country.
AXADLETM
.
