Neither side in Ethiopia's growing conflict is ready to negotiate, as Addis Ababa targets the supposed enemy within, At the beginning of last week, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced he was going to take command of the Ethiopian National Defence Force (ENDF) on the frontline against the rebels. But his visit to eastern Ethiopia – where belligerents are contesting the landlocked country's route to the major regional sea port in Djibouti – lasted for only a few hours. It provided some photo opportunities, but not the hands-on military leadership he had spoken of.