ETHIOPIA: Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has reportedly gone to the front lines to join his soldiers in combat against forces from the northern Tigray area, according to state-run media.
In Abiy’s absence, Deputy Prime Minister Demeke Mekonnen Hassen would be in charge of normal government work, according to the Fana news site.
Other prominent government officials have also joined the campaign in response to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s call to rescue Ethiopia, he added.
Abiy, a 45-year-old former soldier and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has not been photographed at the battlefront, according to state media. The administration has not revealed his whereabouts, but a spokeswoman claimed he arrived to the front on Tuesday with other senior officials who had responded to the call to “rescue Ethiopia.”
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“The moment has come to lead the country through sacrifice,” Abiy wrote late Monday on Twitter. “Rise up for your nation today if you want to be among the Ethiopian youngsters who will be remembered by history.” Let’s meet in the front lines.”
He’s putting his life on the line
The potential of Ethiopia’s disintegration has terrified Ethiopians and onlookers alike, who are concerned about what might happen to the region as a whole. The United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Turkey have all advised their nationals to leave immediately.
“Ethiopia is a large nation; if it devolves into chaos, we will have a major stability problem in the Horn of Africa,” Ali said.
Abiy’s remarks appeared to have bolstered military recruitment in the troubled country.
Hundreds of new army recruits attended a ceremony honoring them in Addis Ababa’s Kolfe neighborhood on Wednesday.
Haile Gebrselassie, Ethiopia’s most famous distance runner, was mentioned in a separate state media story as saying he, too, will battle at the front.
