Addis Abeba – The Ethiopian government will not delist the Tigray Peoples’ Liberation Front (TPLF) from terrorist designation, Ambassador Dina Mufti, Spokesperson the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) told local media today.

During his biweekly press briefing, MoFA Spokesperson, stated that there were pressures from various segments of societies and international community requesting the Ethiopian government to delist TPLF from the terrorist designation list. “The planned national dialogue is not a negotiation and the Ethiopian government does not have any agenda to negotiate with a designated terrorist group, including TPLF,” Ambassador Dina said.

The Ambassador’s statement echoed the statement released by the ruling Prosperity Party (PP) on 16 February that Ethiopia’s planned inclusive national dialogue does not mean negotiating with groups that were “designated as terrorist by the parliament.”

However, the statement stands in sharp contrast with what Annette Weber, EU Special Representative for the Horn of Africa, told media on 11 February that there were “discussions right now” regarding the designation of terrorism or the delisting of the Tigray People Liberation Front (TPLF) from terrorist designation and that “there is a possibility for delisting.”

“Regarding the designation of terrorism or the delisting, there are discussions right now, that there is a possibility – of course it goes through the parliament – there is a possibility for delisting. And of course after delisting [is] engagement with the TPLF because that is necessary if there is an agreement on the cessation of hostility and ceasefire,” Annette said.

Source: Addis Standard