TPLF debunks alleged contact between Debretsion, Ethiopian PM Abiy Ahmed

ADDIS ABABA – Ethiopia’s rebellious Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) has dismissed, as fake, that suggest constant contact between Debretsion Gebremichael, the group’s leader, and Prime Minster Dr. Abiy Ahmed.

In a tweet, TPLF spokesman Getachew K. Reda said there has never been phone conversation between Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Debretsion since the outbreak of war in November last year and accused a reporter belonging to The Economist of concocting lies.

“There was no phone conversation between [TPLF chairman Debretsion] & [Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed] in the last 18 months,” Getachew said in a tweet read by Sudans Post on Sunday.

“No matter who these multiple sources Tom Gardner (The Economist reporter) quotes are, they must have plucked their information out of thin air,” he concludes, before warning that “Similar games are quite common in Addis!”

But Debretsion last January said in an interview with the BBC that his rebel group was in contact with the Ethiopian government to reach possible deal on how to start a formal ceasefire talks.