National Security Council Discussed the Security Situation, “TPLF Provocation”

January 28, 2022

The National Security Council calls the extensive TPLF military operation in the Afar region of Ethiopia “provocation”  

Temesgen Tiruneh, Director of NISS, speaking to state journalists after national security council meeting on January 28, 2022 in Addis Ababa (Photo: screenshot from FBC video)

Borkena

The National Security Council, whose head is Abiy Ahmed, on Friday had an evaluative meeting regarding the security situation in the country. 

According to a report by Fana Broadcasting Corporation (FBC),  the council evaluated it based on recent experiences, especially with TPLF incursions and the activities of  its supporters. 

The current situation of TPLF and what should be done next to ensure that it does not pose a threat  is discussed. The kind of measures that the government is intending to take and when they will be implemented are undisclosed. The TPLF renewed attack in the Afar region, which already displaced over 220,00 residents from the region, has been making news in the past few days. The council called TPLF’s military operation in the Afar region as “provocation.” 

Also, the council reportedly discussed, and evaluated, armed groups in Ethiopia that are said to be  working in coordination with TPLF and other terrorist groups. Armed wing of Oromo Liberation Front (OLF- Shane) operating in Oromia evaluated Al-shabaab and ISIS as  agenda items during the discussion, based on the FBC report. 

In that regard, relations with neighbouring countries from the point of view of security is discussed. Temesgen Tiruneh, Director of National Information and Security Services (NISS),  told Fana Broadcasting Corporate that terrorist elements sneak to neighboring countries following a security operation by government. Government will work with neighbouring countries to ensure that they are not supporting armed groups that are posing a national security threat to Ethiopia. 

Another important topic was evaluation of what the government called  informally organised armed groups that were created during TPLF invasion of the Afar and Amhara region of Ethiopia, and the circulation of illegal firearms including heavy weaponry. Government did not name names officially. 

Without doubt, that is going to be a controversial issue. In Oromia region, OLF armed wing, government calls it Shane, which has formed a formal military alliance with the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), has been carrying out an incessant massacre targeting civilians, mostly ethnic Amharas, since Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed came to power over three years ago. The Oromia regional government has been claiming that it has weakened Shane and that there are no informally armed groups in the region. 

The TPLF military attacks in the Afar and Amhara regions of Ethiopia have caused the formation of militia and armed groups who played a crucial role in the military campaign to dislodge TPLF forces from both regions. Fanos were alsThe governmentart of the operations. 

There have been rumours that the Federal government is demonstrating discomfort about the Fano group. It will definitely be problematic to disarm when the threat from the TPLF is not reversed. However, the government did not officially make statements about it. What is know at this point is, based on FBC report, that an agreement has been reached among National Security Council members to give a formal standing to the informal armed grouped. What does exactly means? Time will reveal it. 

The Ethiopian Defence Force was discussed in the evaluative meeting too. It is said to be in a much stronger position in terms of manpower, arms and technology.