Eritrea based rebel group pledged to quit armed struggle if PM Abiy Implements reforms

Arbegnoch Ginbot 7 rebel fighter

Eritrea based rebel group pledged to quit armed struggle


By Borkena

Arbegnoch Ginbot 7, Eritrean based Ethiopian rebel group, says it will end armed struggle and resort to peaceful one if Ethiopian prime minister Abiy Ahmed implements the reform measures he promised during his speech in the Ethiopian parliament on Monday this week.

Stating that the movement was compelled to opt for armed struggle due to the nature of the regime in Ethiopia,TPLF, that is losing power after Abiy Ahmed took over office, the movement asserted that it never had an intention to cling on armed struggle as the only option to bring about change in Ethiopia and that it could change it if government is scraping legislation that incriminate political parties and politicians as “terrorists.”

Leader of the movement, Dr. Berhanu Nega, once a professor of economics at Bucknell University, was sentenced to death in absentia. The movement itself was outlawed in Ethiopia as a “terrorist organization.”

Oromo Federalist Congress chairman, Merera Gudina, was thrown to jail for more than a year for meeting leaders of the movement when he traveled to Europe in November 2016.

The movement also called for Abiy Ahmed’s administration to make institutional arrangement necessary for democratic transition in the country.

Arbegnoch Ginbot 7 statement which is released today is meant to be a response to prime minister Abiy Ahmed who called on all rebel groups to end armed struggle and move to the country for a peaceful struggle.

The movement rated the prime minister’s speech at the Ethiopian parliament on Monday as encouraging and positive.

Eritrea, the country that has been hosting anti-TPLF rebel groups, announced today that it is sending delegation to Ethiopia to figure out next step for the peace talk proposed by prime minister Abiy Ahmed’s government.

If the hostile relation between Eritrea and Ethiopia is ending, there is no rationale for Eritrea to host rebel groups in its territory which could be another factor that impact Ethiopian rebels in Eritrea.

After visiting Eritrea for few weeks, I have noted that Eritreans& PG7 freedom fighters there are very hopeful about z wind of change taking place under PM Abiy. PG7 leadership is carefully monitoring PM's measures. Significant indeed for Ethiopia,Eritrea,&the region. @tselemma

— Neamin Zeleke (@NeaminZeleke) June 20, 2018

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