Tens of thousands of young people have joined the Ethiopian Defense Forces to reverse what many Ethiopians see as a proxy war in the northern part of the country.
Multiple parades have been held since last week across the country aimed at showing support for the government’s military engagement in Tigray as well as encouraging others to enlist, he says.
Those at the venue were waving flags and chanting slogans like: “Don’t touch Ethiopia” and “Long live Ethiopia”.
The young people have been accorded warm farewells to defend the war launched by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) which was the former ruling party of Tigray.
On Tuesday, well over 3000 youth from the capital Addis Ababa left the city to join the campaign to rescue Ethiopia from the danger that the TPLF is posing.
A ceremonious send-off was organized at the Mesqel square in the city, where the mayor of the city, Adanech Abiebie, and the Minister for Defense, Kenea Yadeta, appeared to convey messages of encouragement to the volunteers.
Apart from that, the Mayor disclosed that over 1 billion Ethiopian birr, raised from businesses and residents of the city, is channelled to the Ethiopian Defense Force, as a support contribution.
There has been a noticeable anticipation from external forces backing Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) that a concerted action would be difficult if not impossible.
The view informed by ethnic-based divisions that TPLF introduced, which at some point challenged the country to the point where ethnic based violence became common in the country.
After the Ethiopian government declared a unilateral ceasefire at the end of June 2021, the TPLF not only controlled Mekelle but also launched a major offensive against Afar and Amhara regions of Ethiopia.
MG/abj/APA