NAIROBI, Kenya – The Popular Front for the Liberation of Tigray [TPLF] fighters otherwise known as the Tigray Defense Forces [TDF] shot down an Ethiopian military plane on Wednesday, a senior official confirmed, which could spark further tensions in Ethiopia’s troubled Tigray region.
Over the past eight months, the Ethiopian National Defense Forces [ENDF] with Eritrean assistance, troops conducted operations in the Tigray region in pursuit of TPLF fighters. The conflict was sparked by the TPLF’s decision to attack the Northern Command.
Getachew Rada, former Minister of Communication in the legendary Ethiopian coalition government, now adviser to the Tigray presidency in addition to doubling as a member of the TPLF executive committee, confirmed the incident while accusing the troops of atrocities committed in Tigray.
Reports say the C-130 plane was carrying troops and ammunition but was shot down on Wednesday near Gijet. Images taken at the crash site show that the plane was completely destroyed. There are no survivors, sources revealed.
The loss of the plane was called “painful” for the Ethiopian military by security analysts, who said it was one of the only planes to carry single-digit cargo. The footage further showed TDF fighters inspecting the plane’s wreckage at the scene.
Rada, a critic of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, accused the government of sowing terror against “innocent” civilians in Tigray, adding that such “attacks” required the plane to be attacked. According to him, most of the soldiers on board wore Eritrean military uniforms.
“AbiyAhmed’s desperate action after his heavy losses on the battlefield is targeting civilians, as was clearly demonstrated in the gratuitous airstrike on a market in Togoga,” he said. . “Today our anti-aircraft units shot down a C130 transport plane carrying explosives and ammunition.”
He added: “There were also military officers on board with Eritrean camouflage uniforms. With thousands of his forces killed and captured, Ethiopia’s Naked Emperor would stop at nothing to terrorize civilians. Here are snapshots of the downed plane’s remains.
The Ethiopian government declared victory over the TPLF in March this year after months of fighting, but the troops have not yet left. There are also allegations that Eritrean troops fought in the area, killing thousands of civilians in what has been described as “genocide”.
But the European Union condemned the incident which took place in the district of Tembien, saying: “This is a new attack which adds to the horrific series of violations of international humanitarian and human rights law. human rights, atrocities, ethnic violence, combined with serious allegations of the use of famine and sexual violence as weapons of conflict.
“The EU strongly condemns the deliberate targeting of civilians. This is in no way justifiable and goes against international humanitarian law. These atrocities cannot be justified by using as an argument the preservation of the territorial integrity of Ethiopia, ”he added.
The incident comes as Ethiopia is in electoral mood, with many observers calling Monday’s elections “free and fair”. However, elections did not take place in most parts of the country, including Tigray, due to endless conflicts resulting in mass killings.
The EU now wants all warring factions to advance the country’s future, adding that serious action should be taken. The EU and the US are among the entities that have imposed sanctions on those believed to be causing chaos in Tigray.
“We reiterate the urgent call for an immediate ceasefire in Tigray and unrestricted humanitarian access to all those affected by the conflict in the region,” the statement read.
“What is happening in Tigray is appalling. It is time for the international community to wake up and act. The High Representative has put Ethiopia on the agenda of the next Foreign Affairs Council in July to discuss with member states EU actions in response. ”
AXADLETM
