By Staff Reporter
November 6, 2020 (Ezega.com) -- The Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority announced no fly zone in the northern part of the country as the war between the central government and northern Tigray region continues.
The authority in a statement said there will not be any international or local flights crossing the Tigray region of Ethiopia and announced closure of Mekele, Shire, Axum and Humera Airports effective November 6, 2020.
Accordingly, all Airmen have been notified through the proper communication channels via Notice to Airmen, NOTAM, the Authority said.
The prohibition came days after the Ethiopian government said it has been forced into an “unexpected and aimless war” with its well-armed Tigray region, while Tigray asserted that fighter jets had bombed areas around its capital — a marked escalation with little sign of the two sides willing to talk to calm the crisis.
The situation in the Tigray region developed into war after the governing party of the region called the Tigray People Liberation Front (TPLF) launched an unexpected attack on Ethiopian Defense Force bases in the region.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, in a message he conveyed for the people of Tigray, said the treasonous force within the TPLF through various ways had been obstructing your stability and development in the two years after the reform.
This force, primarily by alienating you, the people of Tigray, from your brothers of the Ethiopian people has been putting you aside from entertaining peace and prosperity.
Secondly, it did many erroneous things in the name of you to make you hated by the rest of Ethiopian people.
Abiy said the treasonous force violated the constitution in a piecemeal way, which you formed with the sacrifice of your children. This force, in spite of repeatedly speaking for the constitution to be respected in words only, continues to violate it one by one.
Third, it conducted unlawful elections by violating the decision of the House of Federation to postpone national elections due to the global pandemic.
“Our respected people, the government to safeguard your security and respect your pride did not take measure when the illegal clique was undertaking every unlawful measure. Especially, as our priorities at this time is preventing Coronavirus, desert locust invasion, and harvesting crops we had no intentions into getting to this situation,” Abiy said in his message to people of Tigray.
“The tarnished criminal force created within the TPLF in a very unacceptable way attacked the Defense Force that have shared your burdens and protected you for the last two decades. It attacked the Northern Command Post, which paid sacrifices for your safety, in a way what was never seen in the history of the world. In doing so it cut off the services of telecommunication and electricity, the message said
He said the forceful measure, which is part of upholding the rule of law, is not with the entire TPLF and not with the security forces of Tigray as well rather with the disruptive and bloody force. Concealed inside the people and TPLF, this force is disrupting you and the entire Ethiopia.
In relation to this, respecting the rule of law, there may be air strikes against the capacities of the force not civilians. However, “I urge the public to restrict moving in mass in cities in order to avoid unforeseen causalities.”
Thus, the people of Tigray in collaboration with the Defense Force should shorten the life of this clique by either handing it over to the Defense Force or giving information.
“I call upon you, the people of Tigray together with the Defense Force, to get rid of this group and steadfastly get back to working on development,” Abiy noted.
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