How rebel TPLF provoked war with a barbaric attack against the Northern Command of the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF)

 

Lieutenant General Bacha Debele

Addis Ababa, November 10, 2020 - The rebel TPLF had infiltrated the Northern Command of the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) through its Tigrayan members. It had informed them to coordinate the attack within while TPLF forces plot from outside. They were given three missions, one was to dismantle the communications of the army, second to attack the Northern Command members and third to negotiate with members of the Northern Command to surrender and collaborate.

As instructed, on Tuesday evening, November 03, 2020, the infiltrators redirected the communication radio chain of command to the TPLF. They were able to pull this off because the army’s communication head was also one of them. They disconnected the radio communication of the entire Northern Command.

Once communication was cut off, the Tigray Liyu Police surrounded them and asked them to surrender. “We only want your weapons. We have nothing to do with you”, said Tigray Liyu Police to the Ethiopian Army, Northern Command, which was caught by surprise. “Our government is an elected government. The government in Addis Ababa is not elected. Therefore, surrender to us”, continued the demand from Tigray Liyu Police.

“For three days, Tigray Liyu Police kept the Northern Command under siege without water and food”, said Lieutenant General Bacha Debele.

On the fourth day, when no one seemed to surrender, they brought in General Nuru, who has been captured, to the radio room. And on an open line forced him to make a statement to his men and he said “Let us stop the bloodshed. I have given my weapons and you should also do the same. But you will never hear from me again”. Some of the men did not want to surrender their weapons but some were asking themselves as to why the General would surrender his weapons and said ‘you will never see me again’. It seemed obvious to them that General Nuru was telling them that even after surrendering they will die. Hence, they did not surrender, they fought.

The Massacre

4^th Division 20^th Brigade is a support group located around Serro. This brigade was equipped with mortars, rockets and anti-aircraft weapons. Not all soldiers carries an AK 47 in this brigade. But every soldier would carry a hand gun.

Soon, they were surrounded and bullets began to rain down on them. They fought until their last breathe. But they were massacred.

Even after they were dead, they did not leave them alone. They took off their clothes and threw their bodies on the scorching sunlight. Their soldiers’ bodies were left for the hyenas and vultures to feed on.

“For soldiers who served them for 21 years living under a fox’s hole, they did not deserve this”, said Lieutenant General Bacha Debele.

Who was part of the attack against the Northern Command?

The rebel TPLF was able to mobilize four types of group for this attack. The first group was the Tigray Liyu Police. The second were militias that served with the ENDF during the Ethio-Eritrean conflict. The third were Tigrinya speaker members of the Northern Command of the ENDF. The fourth were Oromo speaker members of the OLF-Shene or Oromo Liberation Army. 

“We will never forget what the killings and atrocities committed by the greedy and brutal Junta on members of the Northern Command. We will not rest until this Junta is brought to justice. I want to guarantee to all Ethiopians that unless we ensure the Rule of Law we will not have a talk of dialogue.” PM Abiy Ahmed