Chief of Staff of the Ethiopian Defense Forces Field Marshal Berhanu Jula has pleaded with the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) to surrender its heavy weapons to the national defense army.
Ethiopia’s government and TPLF had fought a two- year bloody war from November 2020 to November 2022. The war was concluded with a peace agreement in Pretoria, South Africa.
This civil war primarily occurred in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region and involved significant violence, war crimes, and a devastating humanitarian crisis.
Speaking at the annual celebration of the Central Command held in Jimma city, Oromia region on Monday, Jula said TPLF possesses mechanized military equipment, ranging from tanks to artillery, and also has anti-aircraft weapons.
According to the Pretoria agreement, TPLF has to disarm and demobilize its about 270, 000 troops.
“TPLF is unearthing heavy weapons it had buried. Field Marshal Berhanu specifically mentioned mechanized military equipment, confirming that the TPLF is armed with heavy weaponry,” he said.
Noting that TPLF did not disarm its heavy weapons, the army chief urged the TPLF to return to peace in accordance with the Pretoria Agreement, stating, “You must surrender the tanks and artillery you have hidden.”
The Field Marshal stressed that “there is no region in Ethiopia, outside of Tigray, armed with tanks and artillery,” and that the TPLF must accept that Tigray is part of the federation. He further stated in his speech, “Tigray can only be armed with tanks and artillery when it secedes,” emphasizing that it should not possess mechanized weapons as long as it has not seceded from Ethiopia.
The Field Marshal also conveyed a message of advice to the TPLF leaders. “Surrender the weapons you have hidden” he urged TPLF leaders to comply with the Pretoria Agreement and called for them to return to peace.
MG/abj/APA