Ethiopia has successfully built a national defense force capable of repelling both predictable and unpredictable threats as they emerge, stated Colonel Getnet Adane, Director of Defense Public Relations. He asserted that this holds true "by any measure."
Speaking on the current operational performance of the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF), Colonel Getnet highlighted the creation of an army equipped to handle multiple, complex missions simultaneously.
"In terms of preparation, combat readiness, and operational capacity, we have built an army that can repel foreseeable and unforeseen threats alike, responding to them as they arise, by any standard you measure," he emphasized.
Colonel Getnet detailed that significant work has been undertaken since the recent reforms to transform the ENDF in terms of personnel, structure, and equipment, ensuring it is an army befitting Ethiopia.
He underscored the army's crucial role in contributing to regional stability, pointing to its track record of successfully overcoming numerous challenges.
The Colonel described the ENDF as a force the public and government deeply trust and consider their ultimate defense line. He affirmed its capability to safeguard Ethiopia's ongoing development journey, preventing it from being derailed by instability.
Regarding recruitment, he explained that the army follows clear, internationally recognized procedures for replacing personnel, selecting qualified members based on established criteria to ensure mission readiness.
Addressing allegations leveled against the army concerning drone usage, Colonel Getnet firmly stated that these accusations are baseless. "When we say 'drone' and when the enemy says 'drone,' we understand each other," he remarked pointedly.
He asserted that the enemy, aware that it is being targeted precisely by drones, is spreading false information specifically to halt these effective operations.
"This force, which is killing teachers and students to disrupt education and has brought schooling to a standstill, is now claiming that a drone hit a school," he explained, exposing the contradiction.
He dismissed the claim of a school being hit after educational activities had already ceased as unacceptable, recalling that the group, which he described as relentlessly deceitful, once falsely claimed to have shot down a drone complete with its pilot.
Colonel Getnet suggested that the extremist group has recently pushed the drone narrative to the forefront because their internal squabbles, infighting, and killings, along with the exposure of their actions including a fabricated "Orange" documentary, have begun to surface.
He characterized the extremist group as lacking a genuine purpose and harming the population by treating them as enemies. He dismissed their claims of standing for the people as hollow attempts to protect their economic interests.
Finally, he reported that in areas previously plagued by a lack of peace, the National Defense Force has successfully restored stability through its law enforcement missions. This achievement, he noted, was made possible through the sacrifices and relentless struggle undertaken in collaboration with the public, the government, and other security forces. According to FBC, he also confirmed that a significant number of armed elements have accepted the offer of peace and integrated back into society.