Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed called on the international community not to intervene in the current crisis in his country, due to the Tigray issue being an internal matter.
In a statement early on Wednesday, Ahmed called for “adherence to the principle of non-intervention in internal affairs” of countries.
“A fundamental element of the international legal order is the principle of non-intervention in the internal affairs of sovereign states, which is enshrined in Article 2 (7) of the Charter of the United Nations,” Ahmed said.
Ahmed’s statements came just a few hours before the end of the 72 hour period given to rebels to surrender by the Federal Government of Ethiopia.
The latter has faced a serious challenge since the start of the armed conflict with the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) on 4 November.
Since the TPLF took over a federal military base, killing many soldiers and causing injuries and damage to property, the federal authorities took harsh measures against the rebellious region. These included shutting down all facilities, and declaring a state of emergency in the Tigray region.
Federal forces recently seized control of various towns and villages in the region during aerial bombardments and ground fighting. The military offensive has resulted in about 30,000 refugees of the region’s residents fleeing to neighbouring Sudan to escape the war.
Authorities say that they have killed more than 10,000 members of the Tigray forces over the past three weeks.
On Tuesday, the United Nations’ Security Council (UNSC) discussed the Tigray issue without issuing any joint statements. The UN, European Union (EU), and the US have all called for an end to the war.
Ahmed said that his country appreciates advice from friends, but does not accept interference.
