>>> TODAY ETHIOPIAS PRIME
MINISTER DECLARED A CEASEFIRE IN
THE COUNTRYS EIGHT-MONTH BATTLE
WITH REBEL FORCES IN THE
NORTHERN REGION OF DUBAI WHO HAS KILLED THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE.
KILLED THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE.
HE WAS ORDERED THE NOBEL PEACE
PRIZE AND COMEBATTED IN NOVEMBER
AGAINST THE REBELS.
GUTIERREZ SAID HE WAS HOPEFUL
THAT THE CEASEFIRE WOULD HOLD
AND THE VIOLENCE WOULD STOP.
AFTER ETHIOPIAN TROOPS LEFT THE CAPITAL, REBEL FIGHTERS ARMED
CAPITAL, REBEL FIGHTERS ARMED
WITH AK-47 RIFLES, KNOWN AS
TIGRAY DEFENSE FORCES, MARCHED
IN COLUMNS THROUGH SEVERAL CITY
SUBURBS.
UNITED NATIONS AGENCIES SAY THAT
AT LEAST 350,000 TIGRAYANS ARE
ALREADY LIVING IN FAMINE
CONDITIONS AND THAT SOME 90% OF THE REGIONS INHABITANTS, AS
THE REGIONS INHABITANTS, AS
MANY AS 5.2 MILLION.
NICHOLAS, YOU WERE HOPING THEY
WOULD TAKE NOTE.
>> THE TIGRAYAN FORCES APPEAR TO
HAVE HEEDED THEM, AND AT THAT
POINT THE GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCED A
UNILATERAL CEASEFIRE AND HAVING
LOOTED MUCH OF TIGRAY, THEN
PULLED OUT WITH WHAT THEY HAD
LOOTED.
SO THE QUESTION IS NOW WHETHER
THEY WILL ACCEPT THAT, WHETHER
THEY WILL ALLOW FOOD AID IN
TIGRAY TO ALLEVIATE THE FAMINE
AND WHETHER THE TIGRAYANS NOW
PURSUE SUCCESSION, WHICH I DONT
THINK THEY WERE INCLINED TO
PURSUE CESSATION, BUT THEY ARE
TALKING ABOUT CESSATION TODAY.
>> THE PLANTING SEASON IS UPON
THEM THERE, AND THEY WANTED
FARMERS TO PEACEABLY WORK THEIR
FIELDS AND GET THEIR CROPS
PLANTED.
THE GOVERNMENT ALSO SAID THEY
WANT HUMANITARIAN AGENCIES TO BE
ABLE TO OPERATE THERE.
>> THE GOVERNMENT KEEPS SAYING
THESE VERY NICE THINGS, BUT THEY
HAD BEEN UNINTERESTED IN A
CEASEFIRE AS LONG AS THEY WERE
WINNING, AS LONG AS THEY WERE
KILLING OTHER PEOPLE, AND
SUDDENLY THEIR INTEREST AROSE
ONLY WHEN THEY WERE DEFEATED AND
FORCED OUT OF THE REGIONS
CAPITAL
CAPITAL.
AS FOR ALLOWING AID IN, THEY
KEEP SAYING THAT.
THERE WERE JUST THREE WORKERS
FROM DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS WHO
WERE QUITE BRUTALLY MURDERED A
FEW DAYS AGO.
WE DONT KNOW FOR SURE THAT WAS
ETHIOPIAN FORCES, BUT THERE
CERTAIN LIES A SUSPICION.
I HOPE THAT ETHIOPIA WILL LIVE
UP TO THAT AND ALLOW FOOD AND
AID WORKERS, BUT WELL HAVE TO
SEE.
>> WHAT WOULD YOU EXPECT THE
PRIME MINISTERS REACTION TO BE
IF THERE IS A CONTINUED
SEPARATIST MOVEMENT TO CREATE A
NEW AND SEPARATE COUNTRY IN THAT
PROVINCE?
>> YOU KNOW, THE PRIME MINISTER
GENUINELY FACED A REAL PROBLEM
MTPROBLEM.
HE FACED A MUTANT.
HE MADE IT WORSE BY FACING MASS
MURDERS AND MASS STARVATION.
THERE IS SUSPECT THAT OTHER
RIVAL FORCES WILL FACE OTHERS IN
ETHIOPIA.
ON ONE HAND THERE HAS BEEN
TREMENDOUS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT