An image of a man in handcuffs with two soldiers on either side of him has been shared on social media in Ethiopia with claims that the photo shows the arrest of Debretsion Gebremicheal, leader of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front. Debretsion has been at large since the start of Ethiopia’s conflict in the northern region of Tigray in November 2020. But the claim is false:
Tigray, Schema-Root news schema-root.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from schema-root.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The East African
Wednesday January 20 2021
Ethiopians from the Tigray region hold a protest in Pretoria, South Africa, on November 25, 2020. PHOTO | AFP
Summary
The National Electoral Board of Ethiopia said it confirmed the party s involvement in the violence, citing statements made by the party and publicly available facts to determine whether the TPLF was involved in the violence.
Advertisement
The National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) has revoked the legal status of the Tigray People s Liberation Front (TPLF) as a political party, it announced.
The board said it conducted an evaluation process which confirmed that TPLF has engaged in armed rebellion and hence can no longer meet the board s criteria for a legal status.
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – It has been more than two weeks since the Ethiopian military took control of Mekelle, the capital of the country’s northern Tigray region, from the now-overthrown regional government.
The fighting that began early last month between government troops and forces loyal to the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) is thought to have killed thousands of people and forced an estimated one million from their homes.
Despite the seizure of Mekelle on November 28, clashes between the federal forces and the TPLF are believed to be continuing in some parts of rural Tigray. Swathes of the mountainous state of more than five million people remain inaccessible to news outlets and humanitarian groups, while an internet and telephone blackout has made it difficult to obtain and verify information about the conflict.
Ethiopia Army Says 1,000 Captured Senior Military Officers Freed allafrica.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from allafrica.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.