The Ethiopian government on Friday accused Western countries and entities of spreading Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) propaganda to push a «sinister» campaign for political purposes against Addis Ababa.
«The Government of Ethiopia is forced to weigh its options and consider its relations with some states and entities that are making unfounded and politically motivated accusations of such gravity,» it has specified in a statement posted on its official Twitter profile.
In this regard, he has pointed out that this is an «orchestrated campaign» by the TPLF rebels. «Some Western entities publicly admit that they are pushing this rhetoric because Ethiopia refuses to succumb to their instructions,» he added.
Abiy Ahmed’s government has stressed that it is «irresponsible» and «shameful» for such allegations to be used for a political purpose, while pointing out that the accusations against Ethiopia «do not change the facts on the ground.»
These statements come in the context of growing calls from international human rights organizations and institutions, such as the NGO Amnesty International (AI), about fears of further atrocity crimes in the Tigray region.
«Tigrayan civilians fear that widespread abuses, such as killings and sexual violence, could happen again,» AI’s director for Eastern and Southern Africa, Muleya Mwananyanda, said on Monday.
The war has seen an upsurge in recent weeks following the outbreak of renewed fighting in August after a five-month humanitarian truce agreed between the parties. The TPLF has also denounced a large-scale offensive by the Eritrean army in support of Ethiopian forces.
In addition, on October 14, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Demeke Mekonnen, wrote a letter to the Irish government threatening to cut diplomatic relations for «undermining Ethiopia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity», as ‘Addis Standard’ recalled.
This is not the first time that relations between Ethiopia and Ireland have been strained. The Government expelled in November 2021 four of the six diplomats working at the Embassy in Addis Ababa for the «positions Dublin expressed at the international level on the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia».
Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney «deeply» regretted this decision, as «Ireland has had a diplomatic presence in Ethiopia since 1994, working in partnership with the Ethiopian government and people to support the development of their country.»
Ireland joined countries such as Germany, France and the United States in asking its citizens to leave the African country in the face of escalating violence due to the conflict between Ethiopian government forces and TPLF rebels, which is edging ever closer to consuming the territory.
The conflict in Tigray erupted in November 2020 following a TPLF attack on the main army base in Mekelle, after which Abiy ordered an offensive against the group following months of political and administrative tensions. A «humanitarian truce» is currently in place, although both sides have accused each other of impeding aid deliveries.
The TPLF accuses Abiy of whipping up tensions since coming to power in April 2018, when he became the first Oromo to take office. Until then, the TPLF had been the dominant force within Ethiopia’s ruling coalition since 1991, the ethnically-supported Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF). The group opposed Abiy’s reforms, which it saw as an attempt to undermine its influence.
