Nobel laureate and Ethiopian prime minister Abiy Ahmed (file photo)
"The 2019 Nobel Peace Prize winter and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has joined the Army to battle rebels from the Tigray region.
The rebels are approaching the capital, Addis Ababa, and the conflict has already killed thousands of people. Africa's second-most populous country is already experiencing famine.
Other nations have called for a diplomatic solution and immediate ceasefire. Foreign governments are evacuating their citizens as the conflict is escalating, reported NDTV.
The US State Department said that there is no military solution to Ethiopia's civil war. "We urge all parties to refrain from inflammatory and bellicose rhetoric, to use restraint, respect human rights, allow humanitarian access, and protect civilians," said a Washington spokesperson.
Fana Broadcasting Corporate reported that Abiy has been giving leadership from the battlefield as of yesterday and is now leading the counter-offensive. He is a former radio operator in the military and now a lieutenant colonel. His whereabouts are not revealed.
UN chief Antonio Guterres on Wednesday called for an end to the fighting. He was on a visit to Colombia to mark the anniversary of a peace deal between the government and the rebels. He said that the peace process in Colombia inspires him to make an urgent appeal to the protagonists of the conflict in Ethiopia for an unconditional and immediate ceasefire to save the country.
PM Abiy on Monday said that he would deploy to the front to inspire many to join the survival campaign. Hundreds of new recruits took part in a ceremony on Wednesday. They broke into patriotic songs and chants at the event, reported AFP.