BY SOLOMON DIBABA
On the 13th of December, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) paid a working visit to Mekelle to confer with high ranking army generals who commanded the enforcement of the rule of law in Tigray. The Premier also held discussions with the members of the Provisional Cabinet of the regional administration.
Although most of the international media outlets described the visit as a surprise, it was natural for the Commander in Chief of the Ethiopian Army to visit Mekele as one of his routine duties of inspecting the progress of ascertaining the rule of law in Tigray and issue directives on the ongoing relief and rehabilitation programs that are in full swing in the region.
Premier made the trip a day ahead of the resumption of civil services and business activities as announced Saturday by the Provisional Administration for Tigray Regional State.
He held discussions with army generals who led a successful law enforcement operation launched by his government in November after the junta forces attacked the Northern Command
Speaking to the high ranking officials of the army, Abiy (PhD) said the Ethiopian Army is not the army of Prosperity Party or Abiy’s army as TPLF propagandists claimed but the pride of the peoples of Ethiopia and the protector of their sovereignty. He noted that the members of the armed forces are not only patriotic soldiers but also honest citizens of this country.
Appreciating the courage exhibited by the armed forces Abiy (PhD) also added that no soldier in any country would dare to walk on foot from a distance like trekking from Humera to Mekel while carrying ammunitions and personal effects at hand. He also stressed the fact that the current Ethiopian army is a democratic and people’s army.
This was not an army indoctrinated on party lines and not affiliated to any ethic based ideology. The members of the army were trained as professionals and not as army cadres who would serve a party and not the country.
Regarding the commanders who led the army towards a swift success, I think it is very important to consider several factors. Although the generals were highly qualified army commanders tested at the battle with Eretria and in spite of their contributions towards the modernization of the army, they were demobilized by treacherous TPLF leaders who replaced them by their own confidants and enlisted them into pension at the apex of time the country needed their services.
Demobilizing these reputed generals was part of TPLF’s effort to make the army subservient to the interest of TPLF leadership in their quest to strengthen their hegemony in Ethiopia. As the Prime Minister has stated several weeks back, TPLF was working towards the dictatorship of a single nation under the guise of a defunct ideology of revolutionary democracy and under a window dressing of the rights of nations to self-determination up to and including session.
Promotion of the rule of law conducted in Humera, Shire, Axum, Adwa were conducted with no damage to property or infrastructure by the army but TPLF commanded so called Special Forces damaged or destroyed public infrastructural facilities in all these towns before their flight in disarray. However, now they are busy showing pictures they took in these towns after their destructive activities in their attempt to misinform the international community of nations and to shift the blame on the victorious army who is busy supplying relief food and restoring damaged infrastructural facilities.
The Prime Minister recalled what has happened in Iraq and Syria and the destruction that took place in both countries and noted that safeguarding and protecting the population and infrastructures was a priority in the offensive made inn towns across Tigray. This indeed shows that the army was operating in line with the interests of the peoples of Tigray.
The big task that awaits the federal government, the provisional administration of Tigray and the army is to ensure peaceful rehabilitation of damaged infrastructures and resumption of all public services that were discontinued during the offensive to restore the rule of law in Tigray.
The ousting of TPLF is a greater success for Ethiopia in which ethnic blind professional army will have a chance to deliver more services in enhancing the strategic development of this country. The army has demonstrated a historical unity as an institution setting a glowing example for the peoples of Ethiopia to prioritize the country before any ethic interests or needs. This is necessary because everything rests on the fact that the country should first survive above the perils of selfish egoistic motives.
The army is so important for Ethiopia not only as the defender of the territorial integrity of the country but as Prime Minister has stressed would remain a unifying factor and catalyst of national development.
The Ethiopian Herald January 24/2021
