By Staff Reporter

October 25, 2020 (Ezega.com) — The Tigray People Liberation Front (TPLF) said Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed are plotting war against it and the people of Tigray.

In a statement issued over the weekend, TPLF called on the people of Eritrea and Ethiopian defence forces to stand by its side to avert the bloodshed and end autocratic rules of the leaders.

“The leaders are cementing personal relations by ignoring brotherly ties between the peoples of Eritrea and Ethiopia and the dictator leaders would be held accountable for all chaos that may happen,” the statement said.

TPLF blamed Prime Minister Abiy for seizing power illegally and practicing a unitary administration and bargaining to sell the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) in exchange of  big ransom.

It also accused Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of committing treason through establishing alliance with foreign forces in a bid to surrender the people and governing party of the Tigray region.

“Abiy’s led government does not have legal ground to conduct restructuring of the regiments in the army as its term had already ended on October 5, 2020. Accordingly, the decisions with regard to the army’s restructure are not acceptable,” the statement reads

The governing party of Tigray also urged members of the federal army to refuse commands from Abiy who is commander in chief of the Ethiopian defence forces.

The statement further said the planned regiments that will be deployed in Addis Ababa and Bahir Dar city are intended to surrender the Tigray government.

The regional government has demanded the federal government to release the annual budget to the Tigray region without any preconditions. “TPLF said the budget is reimbursement the region had paid in the form taxes to the federal government and the ‘illegal force’ does not have legal ground to freeze the budget.” it said.

“If the” illegal force” cuts the budget to the Tigray region against the constitutional right of the people in Tigray, it will be tantamount to declaring war and the authorities in Addis Ababa will be held accountable for all chaos that will happen thereof.”

Relations between Ethiopia’s federal government and Tigray region have been deteriorating after the latter unilaterally held elections last September in defiance of the upper house’s decision to postpone national polls due to Covid-19.

The Upper House of the Federal Parliament later voted to exclude the region from official matters and imposed a range of harsh measures, including budget cuts, against the region.

Critics say although Abiy had ruled out military action against the region, war  could break out soon if disputes continue this way.