Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has said that he will not allow the delayed general election to be used "to fulfil the interest of external forces", state-owned Ethiopian News Agency (ENA) reported.

"The election will be decided by Ethiopia and Ethiopians only, not to fulfil the interest of external forces," ENA quoted Abiy as saying while inaugurating an industrial park in Afar Regional State.

Mr Abiy accused unnamed powerful countries of waging a campaign against Ethiopia.

"Countries with strong economy or other entities are in a campaign against Ethiopia with the [aim being] to decide how Ethiopians should live," Mr Abiy was quoted as saying.

He added that "Ethiopians have never fallen under any forces and will never fall".

Ethiopia has come under pressure from the US and European Union over alleged human rights abuses and the humanitarian crisis in northern Tigray region, where federal forces ousted the rebellious former regional governing party, Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), in November 2020.