Somalilandsun- A statement given by the joint counter-terrorism force of the Ethiopian Federal Police and National Intelligence and Security Agency announced that Mola Asgedom, the leader of the opposition Tigray People’s Democratic Movement (Demhit) and nearly eight hundred fighters, defeating Eritrean army units sent to stop them, fought their way out of Eritrea and into Sudan on Friday last week and entered Ethiopia on September 12,2015.
The TPDM fighters fled a few days after it was announced in Asmara that four Eritrean based Ethiopian rebel groups, including Ginbot 7, which was designated as terrorist group by the Ethiopian Parliament, and TPDM, had formed a coalition, “United Front for Salvation of Ethiopia” to attack Ethiopia. In a statement over the weekend the Ethiopian government welcomed the return of the TPDM fighters. The statement noted that Mola Asgedom and his colleagues were in close contact with the Ethiopian Government and had successfully sabotaged several subversive Eritrean Government missions targeting Ethiopia over the past year. It also noted that Mola and his contingent played an important role in informing Ethiopian intelligence services about the anti-Ethiopian activities of the terrorist group Ginbot 7 and other armed groups in Eritrea.
The operation of removing the force out of Eritrea was conducted jointly by the Ethiopian Government and Mola and his compatriots. Accordingly, Mola Asgedom and his compatriots left Eritrea after the merger of Ethiopian rebel groups, including Ginbot 7 and TPDM, which was accompanied by much fanfare. The statement said Sudanese defense forces had “strongly responded” to attempts by the Eritrean government forces to pursue TPDM fighters inside Sudanese territory. The Sudan defense Forces had also provided the necessary logistical and humanitarian support to the fighters. The TPDM leader and several hundred fighters arrived at the Sudanese town of Hamdait at the border on Friday (September 11) having defeated the Eritrean army earlier in the day near the Eritrean town of Om Hajer. The statement said that the fighters subsequently crossed into Ethiopia with their weapons on Saturday (September 12).
