shows have begun the difficult task of writing the fallen train cars, but it will take weeks to get the track completely fixed and likely even longer for this western corner of the us and canadian border to even get back to normal. gabriel is aniko. l g a z ita. su mass washington. ah, how are you watching? i was here. i'm emily angland. these are the top stories to sell. i'm sedans, rain stated, prime minister has promised a path to democracy in an exclusive interview with al jazeera of della handle was released from house arrest and he's back in his position after signing and deal with the military heck home and read him in the cold concept of the upcoming government is that it will be a technocratic government, made up of sudanese, qualified professionals about one and a half years are left out of the transitional period. therefore,

the upcoming government, according to me, should focus on very specific issues. chiefly the completion of transition into a democracy and it's related obligations like the convenience of the constitutional conference. i'm holding the elections. at least 5 people have been killed after a person drive a car into a crowd in the city of walker. sho, in wisconsin. more than 40 others, including children, were taken to hospital. it happened while people were marching in the cities christmas bride. one person has been arrested for the right candidate. jose antonio cast is leading in. she leaves the presidential election with 28 percent support with 90 percent of the vote counted in facing a runoff in december against a former student protest. later. provisional results in venezuela's regional elections point to a big win to the governing socialist party. it's projected to have one at least 20 governorships opposition is taking part after boycotting for several years. the 40

percent turn out was among the lowest in the country's history to people kidnapped in haiti last month have been relates to, according to christian a ministries they were among the 17 missionaries from the us and canada, including 5 children, abducted the puerto prince, 5 weeks ago, their names and location have not been released and they are reportedly safe and in good health. austria has entered a nationwide lockdown to contain a rise in corona virus infections. people can only leave home for essential activities, like food shopping, seeing a doctor or getting exercise. the national lockdown is expected to last a maximum of 20 days for the vaccinated, but there is no end date for the vaccination. those are the headlines. the news continues here on al jazeera after upfront. they can both pop in, in less than a year. capital hope the middle east will come in preparation. the country is stage

and a major test for the 16 nations going head to head in 6 part the stadiums. to 2022 will keep you across the action as capital prepared for the regions. the biggest sporting events that the for our cup on algebra a year into a conflict between government forces integration rebels. ethiopia has seen thousands of lives lost in nearly 2000000 people to sleep. in now as fighting intensifies a larger humanitarian crisis looms. international regional diplomats are working to contain the conflict and stave off the spectre of famine. but is there a way to avoid catastrophe? we'll hear from to gram people's liberation front advisor and former un ambassador . the say her ask at home a little later in the show. with 1st we speak to silhouette casa, as built person for ethiopian prime minister abbey, amidst company. so lemme

would cost to thank you so much for joining me on up front. it's been now a year since this beginning of the conflict between your government and the to grand people's liberation front the t p. a left the humanitarian situation. the region continues to get worse. they are now 400000 ethiopians facing starvation at the moment. what is your government doing? what is ethiopian government doing to help them? well, as i've mentioned that the tpr left started this conflict last year in november, attacking and seizing the ethiopian northern command headquarters and to cry through this process in the past. so 4 or 5 months of thousands were also killed, and hundreds of women have been great by dis the tariffs to group militants said the t p elephant. their supporters are at this moment and it's an important point that you bring up this idea of sexual violence and many other atrocities that are

happening in the region. but i want to just bring it back to the humanitarian question for a moment. and just to clarify, i didn't say that the ticket at the t b, l have started, the war said that the, the conflict started between your government and the t p left a year ago. what the question is, but what is the ethiopian government doing to help the people who are suffering due to this humanitarian crisis, the 400000. if your bins were facing starvation, my question is, what is the government doing in response to that? well, the government is doing everything in its power to address that humanitarian crisis in all that, to grab it. i'm hata and the alpha regions on what mainly the teep elephant. their supporters are basically pretending that, that to gripe bridge and is then made victim of the federal system that they basically once cruelly dominated. but yet their supporters and the malicious are the ones that you know attacking that original a states of amada and af i regions and committee very cruel to crimes against

humanity. so let me, let me just pause you just for a moment. i again, i understand your position and we are we're, we'll have plenty of time to sort of unpack your, your concerns and your critique of the t p left. but my question is really around the humanitarian response. and the reason why this question is so urgent to people is because last month or after the u. n. a chief martin griffith's called on your government to facilitate access to today. the government response was to expel 7 top you in a humanitarian workers in the country. at the same time, the hundreds of thousands of ethiopians are desperate for food and medical supplies . i'd like to talk about again, not so much with the t p l f is doing, but what the, if you're being government is doing to address the humanitarian issue of, of, of, of, of hunger, of famine, et cetera. but also how you respond to these criticisms that people are being literally pushed out who are providing the aid. well, for many months now of the if the government has been facilitating every effort,

including those efforts by the united nations, to gate foods and aid to those in meet. however, the t p i left the have led to the work lives of the world that said this efforts have been properly addressed. i can mention one number for you and here more than 1100 trucks have been that we are transporting food and aid to the to grey region. but more than a 100 of them haven't been returned from tig right. those trucks have been used after that they were seized by this telescope and took right. they were used for military purposes. they were not traded back to their intended purposes. this is one thing that the federal government is trying to of projects that the world should know that this terrorist group is using the agenda. alpha humanitarian aid to projects that the federal government doesn't care for its people. but the fact

is to the opposite of that, because the, the federal government has been trying to push whatever is needed for it for that bad people integrate. and also for that people in, i'm hot and off. i regents, most of the international community kind of neglects neglects that they're regional of commodities that have been displaced from their homes because of the aggression by the t p. i left and i'm hot enough outage and also need humanitarian assistance . that is what the federal government is trying to address at this point. but the t p a left is basically stopping that there are activities of the federal government to address those humanitarian needs in our, in those areas affected by the conflict. so i understand your position to the tp. a left is the reason why aid is not getting to the people in the region who need it. outside agencies, outside entities are saying something quite different,

a 100 trucks a day are needed in aid. according to the united nations, ah, to get to get the ticket. i only about 10 percent about 10 trucks a day are actually getting there. again, you and a chief morton. griffith suggests that it's the ethiopian government that has not done what it needs to do to facilitate the process. in addition, it's not just you and officials this year. your government also ordered a 3 months suspension of the activities of the norwegian refugee council, and of a branch of doctors without borders. and just last week, 72, our truck i was working for the world food program were arrested by government forces. what do you say to that? well, that is one of the narratives that the tpa life is trying to projects that, that the federal government is neglecting its people, which is the opposite. as i mentioned before, the terrorist group is basically stopping the activities alpha. this is the, this is the united nations, this is doctors without borders. this is the norwegian refugee council. this is the

world food program. but this isn't simply a typical f narrative. i mean, is there, are you saying that all of this information is simply misinformation? basically what the t caliph is doing as promoting aggression. arrived at the origin of administration self. i'm hata and i'll fight agents which are mainly their routes where the aid trucks can be passing through. so where they're, the aggressions are going through that federal government is trying to, of promote and also facilitates that the necessity and the needs of that people in to ryan. also, i'm hot, i in a 5 digit, but in, that's a great region, mainly dead. the aggression from the top left has stopped almost all of that communication and also the transportation off this aid trucks. because of this, that cheap enough has continued using that propaganda that they, a federal government is using hunger a to inflict in debt to gray,

a bridge in that state, but which is completely false at this narrative, i want to move on because, according to amnesty international your government has already committed what could amount to war crimes. they published a report last august, detailing how soldiers and militia aligned with your government are using sexual violence as a weapon of war and subject to women, to quote, rape, gang, rape, sexual slavery, sexual mutilation. and other forms of torture. how does this happen? i want to mention the same report that was brought up by amnesty international of probably last week that says that gang raped was also being used by the t p. i left of soldiers and malicious around and foss much i bet is one very simple and very nato example that we can mention here that more than 100 women where gang raped by the t pair left,

soldiers and militias. they were also subject to inhuman axa and also where a subject to very heinous crimes by this said terrorist group. but i'm talking about the actions at this moment of the ethiopian government. we keep pivoting to the tpl. i'd like you to talk about how these types of alleged sex crimes happened, committed by the ethiopian government, based on his amnesty international. what not the tpl f. how does this happen from the perspective of the ethiopian government? where basically they took in company a government is committed to ensure that all perfect traitors of the serious crimes will be brought to justice, which is also being undertaken by the national court here basically that the seriousness of the government is demonstrated because we have allowed the united nation commission for human rights to conduct investigations on the actions of the day. if you open a soldiers the if your penn national defense force and also that human rights

commission was part of this project that joint project and investigation, acknowledging the wrong doings or of some e n d f. the members of the government that has already been undertaken and there have been a the government has taken the initiative to undertake this a small group, small members of they have been national defense force members to that justice system that we have already in the country. so that is one thing that the government has done, acknowledging that wrong banks and also taking action accordingly. the numbers seem quite low though. i mean prime minister abbey, amid to your point, said in march that any soldier responsible for raping our women in looting communities in the region will be held accountable. numerous in jails. numerous observers a documented systematic use of rape as a weapon of war integral. and yet there have been only slightly over a dozen soldiers actually convicted if the government is really committed to this. and we've seen, you know, dozens of interviews,

just amnesty international alone interviewed a 63 survivors of raping other sexual violence. so if there's such a wide scale, systematic use, you use of rape as war, why are we only seeing a dozen soldiers convicted? i mean, it's hard to believe that the government is taking this type of violence seriously, by the way, the international community. and also the international media basically forgets that at this point the a t p left periscope is actively attacking those neighboring regions of am. hara and i'll fire regions because of that millions have been displaced. thousands of people have been killed and hundreds and more than hundreds of people. more than hundreds of women have been raped, gone great by this telescope, malicious they into national community and the media by itself. keeps for getting back to this, it's here to scope is now i'm talking bill scripts that if you're penn national,

defense force hasn't been in that tig. right. there is no war intakes. i'm what i have to push back. so i'm going to have to push back on that just last week, amnesty international, publish a similar accusations of sexual violence against the t p. a left. so they're not ignoring this. this isn't a biased report. they're saying this is happening on both sides. and again, i intend to ask is the same questions that people have represent representatives. what i was asking about about about the ethiopian government. and again, there seems to be a hard a sharp pivot toward the t p left. whenever the ethiopian government is subjected to scrutiny here, but i, i guess i'll have to move one up. both parties are coming under increased pressure from the international community to sit down to negotiate and to come up with a peaceful solution to this conflict. the african unions envoy olu shake own obasanjo was in the country last mother this month. in fact, with canyon president rural kenyatta. do you agree with them that the only way for it is to dialogue in that's how we'll get into these hostilities?

well that basically that tpa less is designated a terrorist group by the house of people. so f, as in pat tips that speak to the whole country on behalf of the tippin people. so any such move, 1st of all, will have to be dependent on the will and the voice of the people through the house of people representatives. that's taking that into consideration, that open government has been supporting dr if it is of the special envoy, president obasanjo. and it's a quest for the truth and in its quest then, his quest to find what is going on on the ground from old sex. all said the conflict, and if can government will basically continue supporting this piece process by the this especially emvoy glenwood carson. thank you so much for joining me on upfront . ah,

barry the enemy, that's what you'll be in prime minister abbey amid said recently from the country's military headquarters in addis ababa, the enemy, he's talking about is the t p. a left the to grind people's liberation front, the political party that govern the country for decades before abbey was elected. prime minister in 2018. you've heard the government's perspective. well, joining me now to share the view from the other side is for say her, asked adam and adviser to the regional state government of to grey and former ambassador to the you in for say her, ask it on. thank you so much for joining me on up front. a year ago. you said the 10th grade people want to live in peace as equals with the rest of ethiopians. no more, no less than yet. the t p. a left in partnership with a coalition of anti government groups is making in advance toward iso barbara the capital. how could that possibly be considered a pursuit of peace among equals? thank you for having me there. again, as you've said, it has been a year and

a couple of weeks soon as sir avia hammer declared a genocidal war on the people of to cry. and what i said then, or remains the same, the truth that is to get i is under a complete city right now. people are dying. there is no power. there is no telephone van king. there is a continuation of the war, sort of starvation of the 7 minute people into gray. and we have no other choice but to go forward and break the siege. we have no other al tyria military. this again, we want to, to break susie, seek and peace, and bring peace to our people. we wanted to monitor an age. we wanted to talk to either each other pianists who want to lives is peace like we do that for

the, the advancement of the ticket i forces toward this at this hour is nothing more, nothing less than to break the siege. and to bring about change the security and safety of the to can i people but, but this advancement right now has caused a great great amount of human lives. i mean, in august you an aide chief morton griffin said that more than 250000 had been displaced in the am her and a far regions. more recently, the government is said that numbers closer to a 1000000, there's a huge human cost. is it worth it? that is what is it? no human life is wars her anything but it is oars as far as the people of to get our concern. we have no other choice. we are left. her blocked her. the wallet has forgotten us. genocide has been committed against our people. children are dying. you are asking me if the people of ticket i should be sitting there and

condemned to days. we wanted to shorten the suffrage. we don't want the people over . aha, far to go through what we have ones who for the 2 for the last one, humans would say that this. i was pleased with this happening and i'm her in a far that you're referencing that's c p a less as the responsibility? no it is. it is, it is a war, sir. the ticket i have horses are engaging in hot pursuit of what the 80 to pair nationally foreign forces are doing to them. they are protecting themselves. do we have good people are suffering because of this war? it goes without saying, but the solution is not there to condemn the ticket people and to stop the to grounds. it is for the central government to make to come to its sense. and either it will be defeated militarily, or it has no to negotiate. and we have to come to some kind of the transition

arrangement. recently, the t p 118 other anti government groups, and now the formation of the united front of ethiopian federalist income. federalist forces. one member of the allied group said the next step will be to organize ourselves and totally dismantle the existing government, either by force or negotiation. is that an accurate assessment of your objective? that is, let me say, let, let me clarify. the united front has, ah, ah, short term, and a medium and long term agenda. in the short term, this 9 ottoman groups that are wooden war again, is the central government at one lever or another. wanted to coordinate amongst themselves or no joint command, militarily, capacity in air, in every aspect of it to shortens us genocidal war or pressure the government to come to negotiating table and to have sunk

a transitional arrangement. if he refuses, it will be defeated militarily, but the political solution remains the same. this is the shorter term in the following, the demise of this government in our d'silva. we want to pull up on all others. army, not armed. the stakeholders in utopia compton negotiating table all inclusive. and then we'll see what kind of transitional arrangement to we'll have. one way of the other. the auction is that abby hammered of our limited let's move on to talk a bit about the humanitarian crisis in the region. there are famine like conditions right now that are swept to gray region. in fact, it is the worst a starvation crisis in the world, according to the united nations, are estimates from various internationally groups and the u. s. government say anywhere from roughly half to 1000000 people are facing starvation right now. but is a military advancement going to stop the famine as you right?

lose heard, to get i is in our facing a starvation and her sadly establishing is used as a weapon of war. the saddest thing is that his food medicine in fuel, just few kilometers across the border from to grey that abbey hammered, has denied us to you to, to, to bring it to the people. the international community have a st enough medicine fuel. and he has denied us, he has blocked us. yes, we have been dying for madison now. and the only way we can come out of the city is to break the siege and bring him editor and aid from the international community. but sir, that the criticisms about blocking or denying access to necessary aid arts is directed at ethiopian government. the united states agency for international development has accused the t. p l. f of looting, humanitarian aid warehouses,

trucks, particularly in the, i'm ha, to region. how can you justify this with hundreds of thousands of people in it? you'll be right now. are desperate for food who are in desperate need of medical supplies. how can you justify the the brocade of humanitarian aid, from djibouti to ticket? i squarely, squarely stops of the gates of abbey, yet he has a stopped anything going to took away because he wants to start of the people easy to get. i army are doing what you are legally said. they have rooting the international community has to go there. we are willing to accept united mission personnel to that places where we are out of michigan right now where we intervene right now. and all food and services should be delivered to all the people that are in need. what am thank and what are you? good 9 reports that members of the t p left have been looting trucks. i mean, sean jones, ahead of the u. s. aid mission, ethiopia said specifically, we know for a fact that the t p a left every town they've gone into,

they looted the warehouses. they blew the trucks, they caused a great deal of destruction in all the villages that they have visited. my question is less about the ethiopian government. more about the t p a left is a t p, a left also involved in the looting. and if so, why, how can it be justified? i am, i am not denying norama admitting because there is no verification of to the allegation of the years for the printer to. but you also have to, to, you also have to remember the head of the user id have fade. either ye hammered has completely cut off to gray and he's using food other weapon. 7000000 people are blocked off to dogs does not make right. the international community, including the united nation, have said to that are, is completely cut off from international aid. and that is famine integrate. it is not, it's not rhetoric, people are dying. children are day in that has not been any tracks going to to that

. i seen as june, only 10 percent of the needed trucks out of that 100 trucks are supposed to enter to good i every day abby am at has stopped us and our people are dying. this same operation should be gone to the, to offer the allegations out there. what he has to do is st. united nation personal to all these areas and via verifies them and deliver food to all victim. as in our far in am hara, but also integral recently earth numerous women told amnesty international that they were raped by fighters from the t p. a left during the attack on the m harder region in august. but they describing reaping gunpoint rob, in subjected to physical and verbal assault. they said the fight is also destroyed and looted the towns, medical facilities. or what do you have to say about these reports? and i would like to get your take on these allegations regarding the t p a left in particular this as you say, these are allegations and we have high respect for the communist international. and

we wanted to, to see it verified, investigated by the united nations. and if any, any one of our forces are found guilty of this, they will be accountable and they will be held accountable, but did not compare this and put it as if it is equal to what has happened in ticket i for 8 months is we're talking about every crime been human, the history has been committed integrate, and i do respect the report of the amnesty international. and yet, what it has to be investigated in the reported if there are 15 victims of any violence by the ticket i forces one is too many there will be you know, held accountable. said her asked on thank you so much for joining me on up front. thank you so much for having me. all right, that's our show up front. we'll be back. next.

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