Ethiopia declares state of emergency as TPLF heads to Addis Ababa

Ethiopia’s cabinet has declared a state of emergency amid fears that the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) will seize the capital, Addis Ababa.

“The state of emergency is meant to save the people from the genocide perpetrated by TPLF terrorists in several parts of the country,” FANA reported.

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The state of emergency allows for the establishment of roadblocks, disruptions to traffic, a curfew, and the military’s takeover of certain areas.

Anyone suspected of links to “terrorist groups, including the TPLF” can be arrested without trial, according to a government statement.

The move comes as Tigrayan forces have won major battles in the war against the Ethiopian government, capturing two key towns Dessie and Kombolcha in Amhara region this week.

Tigray forces have also formed alliances with Oromo rebels who are also at war with the central government, a spokesman said.

Tigray spokesman Getachew Reda also confirmed that their plan was to move to the outskirts of Addis Ababa to capture the capital, if necessary.

“We have formed alliances with the OLF / OLA, and if achieving our goal forces us to move to Addis Ababa, we will do so. But now we are not saying we are going too” said TPLF spokesman Getachew Reda.

Earlier in the day, officials in the capital, Addis Ababa, called on residents to register their weapons for the next two days, to prepare to defend the city.

Also, in a Facebook post, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Sunday called on the Ethiopian people to “take whatever weapons they can, to stop the TPLF.”

“It is the duty of all of us to die for Ethiopia,” he said, echoing an earlier statement by the Amhara regional government.

The situation in Ethiopia appears to have taken a new turn, and given the TPLF’s momentum, it is possible they could retake the entire country, following a series of defeats on Abiy Ahmed’s forces.

Read More: Separatists from Ethiopia’s Oromia region plan to advance on Addis Ababa — Media

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