Ethiopian Government Says TPLF Blocked Humanitarian Flights to Mekele

June 23, 2022

Ethiopian government used the name “terrorist TPLF”, a parliamentary designation, to refer to TPLF for the first time in several weeks 

Legesse Tulu, Ethiopian government communication affairs minister (Photo: GCAM)

Borkena 

The Ethiopian government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) have been making news deadlines in the past few weeks in connection with planned negotiations to end the conflict which many politicised Ethiopians seem to attribute to the making of the U.S. government, and its influence over Ethiopia. 

On Thursday a new development emerged.  The Ethiopian government is accusing the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) of blocking humanitarian flights to Mekelle. 

In a brief statement issued on Thursday, The Government Communication Affairs Ministry said “..since yesterday[Wednesday], the terrorist group has blocked aid flights to Mekelle airport. The group using the people of Tigray as a weapon of propaganda, once again shows its priority is disseminating false information instead of providing aid to the people. ” 

The Ethiopian government called on the international community “to condemn the recent blockade of flights by the terrorist group and to further investigate the reasons behind it.” 

Furthermore, it said the government has been transporting necessary medical supplies to Mekelle.  

At some point, it appeared that the Ethiopian government use of the description “TPLF terrorist” , which the Ethiopian parliament approved in 2021, was wanning. 

When prime minister Abiy appeared in parliament last week, he told parliamentarians that his government is working on ending the conflict through negotiation and that a team is already formed to identify points of negotiation. 

The TPLF says it has not blocked flights to Mekelle. 

Getachew Reda, spokesperson of TPLF and TPLF military command, on Thursday said the airport was shut due to a fuel shortage. 

In an update he wrote on social media, he said, “The airport is temporarily shutdown because of shortage of fuel, the same problem that has made the distribution of food to the needy virtually impossible.”  

Mr. Getachew accused the Ethiopian government of inflating what he called a temporary problem “out of proportion in order to deflect attention away from the bloody carnage and generated crisis that is claiming the lives of thousands of civilians in Oromia, Gambella, Benishangul-Gumuz, and other parts of the country.” 

He also called the government accusation of TPLF over blocking flights to Mekelle “simply pathetic!” 

In an interview with Tigray TV, the video of which was released on Wednesday this week, Getachew Reda said that the TPLF continues to have a “back-channel” communication with the government of Ethiopia. 

In a related development, there are unconfirmed reports that the TPLF has opened war in the Raya area of Ethiopia. Local sources say FANO groups from the region repulsed the TPLF attack.