Ethiopian Government Disclaims Former President’s Views on Eritrea Conflict

Former Ethiopian President Mulatu Teshome claimed in an Al Jazeera op-ed that Eritrea is manipulating the TPLF to incite conflict, warning of regional repercussions. Eritrea’s government responded, accusing Ethiopia of warmongering, but the Ethiopian government later disowned Teshome’s views. Reports of military actions in Eritrea and travel bans have raised further concerns about rising tensions between the two countries.

Former Ethiopian President Mulatu Teshome recently expressed in an op-ed for Al Jazeera his belief that the Eritrean government uses the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) to incite regional conflict. He warned that failure to address this could lead to a wider war beyond the Horn of Africa, suggesting that the Eritrean government views conflict as a lucrative enterprise.

Initially, it appeared that Teshome’s assertions reflected the stance of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s administration, which was met with a strong response from Eritrea’s Minister of Information, Yemane Gebremeskel, who accused Ethiopia of instigating conflict. Eritrea typically only issues such public responses for serious accusations, suggesting that they took Teshome’s claims seriously.

However, the Ethiopian government has since clarified that Teshome’s views are his own, not representative of its official position. Speaking at a press conference, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nebiyu Getachew noted, “Ethiopia is a country with, fortunately, more than one former president,” subtly suggesting the lack of such political plurality in Eritrea.

Eritrea has yet to officially respond to Ethiopia’s distancing statement. Meanwhile, following Teshome’s article, reports emerged of an Eritrean military mobilization involving former soldiers over the age of 60 and a travel restriction on those under 50, which some activists have dismissed as misinformation.

The relationship between Eritrea and Ethiopia continues to deteriorate, heightening fears of potential conflict between the two nations.

The Ethiopian government has distanced itself from the views of former President Mulatu Teshome, whose recent claims about Eritrea’s alleged motivations for conflict stirred controversy. Despite initial perceptions that his opinions were aligned with the current government, Ethiopia has reaffirmed that these were personal views, emphasizing the complexity of relations between the two nations and the possibility of escalating tensions.

Original Source: borkena.com