There are news that the Northern Command of the Ethiopian National Defence Forces has switched sides with the TPLF gov’t in Tigray region.
NC is predominantly controlled by TPLF officers and Generals. It is one of the most highly equipped and mechanised forces in the ENDF.
Throws that integration of the horn mallarky / policy out of the window. Seems the more you push people together the more they repel and it could actually lead to more regions declaring autonomy. If a war was to break out, it will have dire consequences for the Somali Peninsula with regard to getting overwhelmed by refugees. Precarious times indeed!
Tigrayan forces were in control of the federal military’s Northern Command headquarters in the city of Mekelle, according to a United Nations internal security report dated Friday and seen by Reuters.
The Northern Command is one of Ethiopia’s four military commands and controls the border with Sudan, Djibouti and Eritrea.
Tigrayan forces have seized “heavy weapons” from several of the command’s depots, the report read.
It said that the command is the most heavily armed and contains “most of the military’s heavy weapons including the majority of the country’s mechanised and armoured units, artillery and air assets.”
TPLF have advanced radar capabilities. These are mobile radar that can detect objects in the sky upto 100km away.
With a complementary SAM system, Ethiopia’s Air Force will find a lot harder to dominate the skies.
Couple of people you may want to follow on Twitter for latest information about the war on Tigray Region.
A researcher on Ethiopia:
TPLF central committee member who is the main contact person for International Community in Mekele.
Journalist based in Addis Abeba
The reality on the ground:
TDF/TPLF rejected Abiye’s desperate ceasefire offer.
Best way for Egypt and Sudan to destabilize Addis without actually putting boots on the ground. Abiy must really be feeling the bite from all the aid cut off from the EU and co to actually flee from Mekele and call for a ceasefire!