Ready to die to defend rights, says Tigray leader

Abiy gave rebels 3 days to surrender

Debretsion Gebremichael, Tigray Regional President, attends the funeral ceremony of Ethiopia's Army Chief of Staff Seare Mekonnen in Mekele, Tigray Region, Ethiopia June 26, 2019. Picture taken June 26, 2019. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri

The leader of Ethiopia’s dissident Tigray region has said that his people are “ready to die” defending their homeland, rejecting Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s ultimatum that they surrender within 72 hours.

Mr. Abiy launched a military campaign against the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) on November 4, accusing it of attacking two federal military camps in the northern region, as well as defying and seeking to destabilise his government.

The federal Army says its forces are within 60 km of Mekele, the Tigrayan capital and seat of the TPLF.

Mr. Abiy on Sunday called on the TPLF to surrender peacefully within three days, saying they were “at a point of no return”. But the TPLF’s leader Debretsion Gebremichael said Mr. Abiy was trying to cover for setbacks his Army had suffered against Tigrayan forces, and was issuing threats to buy time.

“He doesn’t understand who we are. We are people of principle and ready to die in defence of our right to administer our region,” Mr. Debretsion told AFP.