State media says Abiy's announcement he would go to the front line inspired people to answer the call to armsAddis Ababa (AFP) – Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has arrived at the front line where government forces are battling rebels from the northernmost Tigray region, state-affiliated media said Wednesday. It was not clear where exactly Abiy, a former radio operator in the military who rose to lieutenant-colonel, had deployed, and state media did not broadcast images of him in the field. The war erupted in November 2020 when Abiy sent troops into Tigray to topple its ruling party, the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF). His focus is not to live, but to rescue this country, and I sobbed when he said follow me and went to the front line." Among those saying they would fight is Feyisa Lilesa, a distance runner and Olympic silver medallist, who told state media the rebels' advance presented "a great opportunity" to defend the country.

Source: Ethiopian News November 24, 2021 21:39 UTC