National Army Ordered to Remain on Guard in Recently Liberated Areas

ADDIS ABABA – The government has ordered the Ethiopian National Defence Force (ENDF) to remain on guard in areas recently liberated from TPLF occupation.

The order came a day after ENDF and Amhara Regional Forces cleared out TPLF fighters from most Wag Hemra Zone and recaptured its capital Sekota town.

It has also signalled the end for the first phase of the counter-offensive which began since the PM Abiy Ahmed started to lead the army from the warfronts.

In a statement today, Government Communication Service (GCS) Minister Legesse Tulu said the recently launched ‘Operation for Unity in Diversity’ has successfully been concluded after its main objective met.

The operation’s target was to liberate Amhara and Afar region from occupation of the terrorist TPLF, according to the Minister.

The entire Afar and eastern zones of the Amhara region have already been liberated from the invading TPLF forces as per the plan, he said.

The Minister said the federal Defence Forces in Eastern Amhara and far fronts have now been ordered to stay on guard in the recently liberated areas.

The minister gave various reasons for the decision, and one of them linked with the recently reported plot of the TPLF, which transported wounded and dead bodies of its fighters from warfronts to Tigray, to fabricate genocide narratives on advancing federal army.

“We have to be cautious and prevent this from happening,” the minister said, as there are some foreign groups who are ready to echo that and pass wrong judgement on Ethiopia and its army.

He also said the government assessments on ‘Operation for Unity in Diversity’ shows that the enemy forces have now been decapitated.

However, selective measures would be taken whenever threats on national security arise, said Legesse.

ENDF’s activities on other fronts will also be shared with the public in the future, according to the Minister.