Ethiopian fighter jets bombed targets in the restive northern province of Tigray, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said on Friday, in the latest escalation of a three-day old conflict that is driving the populous African nation toward a potentially destabilizing civil war.

“Our country has entered into a war it didn’t anticipate,” Gen. Birhanu Jula, the deputy chief of the Ethiopian National Defense Force, said on state television Thursday afternoon. “This war is shameful, it is senseless.”

In early clashes, there were “injured soldiers on both sides,” he added.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced military operations in Tigray, accusing the region’s ruling Tigray People’s Liberation Front of arming irregular militias and orchestrating an attack on a major federal army base in the region.

Western officials reported clashes between federal and local security forces in Tigray on Wednesday that left dozens of casualties. But details have been sparse because internet and phone services to the area were cut off.

Speaking on Tigrayan television on Thursday, the regional president, Debretsion Gebremichael, said: “The Tigrayans have full potential to destroy enemies far and near, those who step on peace and declare war on the Tigray People.”

Tensions have been growing since September when Tigray defied Mr. Abiy’s authority and held regional elections even as votes in the rest of Ethiopia were postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The confrontation escalated in October when Ethiopian lawmakers diverted federal funding from the Tigrayan authorities as a means of punishment.

Now that the dispute has turned to fighting, Mr. Abiy risks a difficult campaign.

Tigray has a large paramilitary force and a well-drilled local militia, with up to 250,000 armed men, according to the International Crisis Group.

The region is also home to Ethiopia’s largest army base and, by some estimates, half the troops in Ethiopia’s Army, along with much of its artillery and other heavy weaponry.

The Tigray People’s Liberation Front toppled a Marxist dictator in 1991 and went on to effectively rule Ethiopia for near three decades. But its influence declined steeply after Mr. Abiy came to power in 2018.

Tigrayan officials complained of being marginalized and unjustly accused of corruption and human rights abuses, and many were enraged by Mr. Abiy’s description of their period of rule as “27 years of darkness.”

Mr. Abiy, for his part, views Tigrayan leaders as inveterate troublemakers still smarting from their loss of influence.

As the confrontation between the two sides escalated this year, public sentiment for secession from Ethiopia grew inside Tigray. But in turning to military action now, Mr. Abiy has set off an unpredictable conflict that risks spilling over into the rest of Ethiopia, Africa’s second-most populous country. (Credits- Nytimes, CBS)

Source:
https://newswatch24tv.com/2020/11/07/ethiopia-heads-to-war/

Ethiopian military takes control of airport as fighting continues in Tigray
Abiy Ahmed, Ethiopian PM, says he is not neglecting international warnings over the escalating dispute in the Tigray region.
http://en.hausatv.com/news/content/20770

That's Nobel Laurette Winner, just like her counterpart in Myanmar

I really don't know why we have to go through war in order to settle issues we could have handled maturely

Big mistake, this was how they lost Eritrea.


U dont kill a fly with a sledge hammer.

Tigray people of Northern Ethiopia are like the fulanis of Northern nigeria. They took power by the barrel of gun, ruled other people like cows, marginalized them, put almost all the military bases in their region for more than 3 decades. Now that another person from another tribe and region has come into power in 2018, they could not take the wickedness they meted to other tribes for just 2 years and have decided to pull out of the union after donkey years of misruling others and monopolizing power.

I implore the president of Ethiopia not to relent in dealing with them decisively. Bomb them back to stone age, when no human creature exist there, you can then turn their empty lands to game reserves.

The same fate will befall the evil fulani terrorist tribe in this country if they don't make a detour and have a rethink. Power is always transient, let them continue running Nigeria like their personal cattle ranch and creating enemies everywhere with nepotism believing they can monopolize power forever in this country..Na their children na him go suffer am one day.

This is serious.

HAccord:
Tigray people of Northern Ethiopia are the fulanis of Northern nigeria they took power by barrel of gun, ruled other people like cows, marginalized them, put almost all the military bases in the region for more than 3 decades, now that another person from another tribe and region has come into power in 2018, they could not take the wickedness they meted to other tribes for just 2 years and have decided to pull out of the union after donkey years of misruling others.

I implore the president of Ethiopia not to to relent in dealing with them decisively. Bomb them back to stone age, when no human creature exist there, you can them turn their empty land to a game reserve.

The same fate will befall the evil fulani terrorist in this country. Power is always transient, let them continue running Nigeria like their personal cattle ranch and creating enemies everywhere with nepotism. Their children na him go suffer am..

Fulani/Hausa will surely be visited more by Karma for all the atrocities and nepotism meted out on southerners

This might still happen in Nigeria if the Federal government don't put the people's request first. I hope is not a genocide happening there, bcs black men are mean and evil

Peace, peace, peace...

This is almost similar to what is obtainable in Nigerian.
A region thinks the nation is their fiefdom to rule for ever.

So because you lost in an election after 21 years of ruling the country then the whole country should burn?

Loss of election and influence dey pain o!

Okoroawusa:
So because you lost in an election after 21 years of ruling the country then the whole country should burn? Loss of election and influence dey pain o!

Remember, this is how the sitting president made a lots of inflammatory statements including his unstatemanly
"Dogs & Baboons in blood"

Meanwhile, “Only people who can afford the pain of rigging should partake in elections”- Comrade Adams Oshiomole.
http://saharareporters.com/2018/09/29/oshiomhole-only-people-who-can-accept-pain-rigging-should-participate-election

Racoon:

Remember, this is how the sitting president made a lots of inflammatory statements including his unstatemanly
"Dogs & Baboons in blood"

Meanwhile, “Only people who can afford the pain of rigging should partake in elections”- Comrade Adams Oshiomole.
http://saharareporters.com/2018/09/29/oshiomhole-only-people-who-can-accept-pain-rigging-should-participate-election

Morning, afternoon, evening always wailing.

Chaiiiiii

Ruled for almost 30years, then want to pull out after just 2years of staying out of power?
Brain is paining you.
Just the way Northern Nigerians reason

What about oromia how come they are suddenly quiet?

11x1213222:
[s][/s]
your harlot mother forks dogs

fulani man

Please show us the Maps of the Places where fighting is brewing.

Please show us the Maps of the Places where fighting is brewing.

MAFH AND IPOB MIGHT BE THERE.

another Northern Nigeria and Fulani Caliphate in Ethiopia.
They must rule

Fulani brothers in Etopia doing exploits

Igbos this is how to fight, not on social media.
If you must secede do it like men and not like pu**ies

We need peace abeg

Where is righteousness89? I have not seen his opinion on issues of late. Hope he is ok.

Chikarata2020:
This might still happen in Nigeria if the Federal government don't put the people's request first. I hope is not a genocide happening there, bcs black men are mean and evil

What's this craze about black man been evil every other time, what's the difference between evil commited by white and black people. Was it black men that gassed over a million jews during the second war or other atrocities why are we blacks battling with self esteem.
Best way to know wether black man is evil or not, examine yourself and tell ur self the answer.

helinues:
That's Nobel Laurette Winner, just like her counterpart in Myanmar

I really don't know why we have to go through war in order to settle issues we could have handled maturely

The one in Myanmar is a hypocrite

helinues:
Morning, afternoon, evening always wailing.Chaiiiiii

Yeah! Wailing wailers for a better country & living, but as for you the mummified zombies supporting evil, your day of wailing will surely come.So!

Okoroawusa:
So because you lost in an election after 21 years of ruling the country then the whole country should burn?

Loss of election and influence dey pain o!

when the people ruling never care about development

tamdun:
The one in Myanmar is a hypocrite

how ?