Ethiopian general says defection for struggle against the TPLF
Aug 10, 2006 (ASMARA) — Brig. General Kemal Gelchi, the Ethiopian general who joined the opposition Oromo Liberation front, said today he decided to abandon the regime to continue the struggle against Prime Minister Meles Zenawi party from a political force that would respect Ethiopians rights.
In an interview with Eritrean -TV Thursday night, Gen Gelchi who arrived in Eritrea along with hundreds of Ethiopian soldiers opposing the Ethiopian government, stated that their arrival in Eritrea is in continuation to the popular uprising by the entire Ethiopian people and members of the armed forces in a bid to ensure respect to the rule of law in the country.
He pointed out that the Ethiopian soldiers’ struggle through a peaceful means is to bring to an end the atrocities committed against the Ethiopian people by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front “(TPLF) regime” was responded with a deaf ear.
The TPLF is dominant party in the ruling coalition EPRDF in Addis Ababa.
He stated that the TPLF regime has kept hostage the Ethiopian people’s struggle to its minor interest, and is working to ensure the domination of political, economic and military domains by minority groups. General Kemal Gelchi noted that the regime that was defeated in May 2006 election and the atrocities it committed against the people of Ethiopia is a vivid demonstration of its rejection to hand over its power through peaceful means.
As the struggle they made inside the army has become a failure, Brig. General Kemal explained that they have decided to abandon the regime and join the people’s struggle and thereby form an organization that would respect the rights of all Ethiopian nationals.
Furthermore, Brigadier General Kemal said that although the “TPLF regime” is working to ensure its superiority over the entire population of Ethiopia, taking into account the population advantage and natural resource it possesses, the regime considers the Oromo people as a major threat.
Brigadier General Kemal added that the “TPLF regime” has been torturing and suppressing Oromo members of the military who raise questions as regards the rights of the Oromo people.
The General went on to say that their primary objective from the onset was to ensure rights of the Oromo people. In this respect, and as the objective remains in place, Brigadier General Kemal reiterated that they would never see their own people in bound hands while being oppressed by a simple “Junta of a Mafia Mob”.
After noting that their arrival to Eritrea is to intensify their objectives, Brigadier General Kemal called on all Ethiopians to reinforce their struggle to ensure a united and integrated Ethiopia as all Ethiopian nationals have paid their lives for the same cause.
In a Press release, the Oromo Liberation Front said “General Kemal Gelchu and Colonel Abebe have joined the Oromo liberation struggle along with full military armaments under their controls”.
(Shabait/ST)