Recently, the US-Based Ethiopian American Civic Organizations provided the global audience with factual insight on current development in Tigray on a webinar briefing dubbed ‘Understanding the Current Situation in Ethiopia’.
The event was organized by civic organizations including Ethiopian American Civic Council, Ethiopian Advocacy Network, and Advocates for Ethiopia along with several Ethiopian Americans throughout the U.S. on 15 December 2020.
Among the speakers was the Los Angeles based human rights advocate Wasi Tesfa, who raised appealing background information about the Federal Government’s law enforcement operation in Ethiopia’s Tigray State and TPLF’s treason. Hereunder is an excerpt from her remarks during the event:
Ethiopia is a country whose history extends over millennia. In its modern history, the country plays a key role in the international arena. It is a founding member of the United Nations and the African Union.
The Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) took power in 1991 and against advice of many commentators; it divided the country in to ethnic lines as it implemented an ethnic-based federalism. Following the decision, the people of Ethiopia are defined by their ethnicity which negatively affected their long relations and lives.
The ethnic division was introduced by the Tigrean People Liberation Front (TPLF) whose ethnic constituency constituted on six million people yet it dominated the political life of a country of more than 100 million. Hence, instead of celebrating the unity in diversity of some 80 ethnic groups, ethnicity became a device to divide the people.
In his presentation, he also said that curriculums in education crafted to antagonize various groups through exaggerating past misdeeds and grievances over the past 100 years. Therefore, ethnic groups perceived each other as an enemy.
Meanwhile, throughout the implementation of the ethnic federal system, TPLF maintained the upper hand on the socio-economic spears and control the military and the security apparatus of the state. The presence of its total control of power was also felt up to the level of local governments. Anybody in the leadership who seemed to show resistance would be replaced.
This reminds me of George Orwell’s quote ‘All animals are equal but pigs are more equal’ on his classic book Animal Farm.
And of course, the political space was completely closed. The system frustrated the masses and was characterized by violation of human rights and corruption were rampant. Elections were not conducted in a free and fair manner and EPRDF won 100 percent of the parliamentary seat. Protests were never tolerated.
People who expressed their true views were arrested, jailed, killed or thrown into hard labor campus. The massacres of Gambela in the south-west of Ethiopia, Wolayta in the south and Amhara in the north are testimonies to the fact that at times, people were buried in mass graves and smocked to death. These are just a few examples.
Thousands were killed and women were raped and terrorized. Religious sites were destroyed and thousands were forced to take refuge in neighboring countries. In the city’s leaders and members of political parties were persecuted. Students were not also spared from this brutal oppression.
Journalists and bloggers imprisoned with no due process of law. In 2005 election, TPLF was defeated by the opposition in the cities and its defeat was proved by the international election observer’s team. Yet, its leaders nullified it to perpetuate their hegemonic rule.
From the time TPLF took power in 1991 to 2015, the U.S. alone had given 80 billion Dollars in financial aid to the government of Ethiopia. But it is proved by international financial firms that huge sum of the money was taken away by the TPLF leaders as they had been engaged in money laundering.
The United Nations 2015 report states that TPLF drew the country coffers up to two to three billion Dollars a year which is half of the country’s annual budget. Almost all hard currency was stolen, as the TPLF clique accumulated their wealth overseas.
They established their own financial and intellectual elites who manage their asset and create good relations with the international community and got a key position in the international offices including the United Nations. These include Dr. Tedros Adhanom who is currently the Chief of the World Health Organization. They also created strong bond with some western elites.
Throughout these years, the Westerners gave TPLF green light to its treacherous activities as they only focused on the so-called double-digit economic growth in Ethiopia. The western governments or analysts showed no interest in holding the TPLF-led government for the pillage and mayhem it caused. In fact, they gave a deaf ear to people of conscious who openly talked about what was going on in the country.
The TPLF lost its power after a massive protest by the Ethiopian people in 2018 and it was marginalized by coalitions of members of the EPRDF for it did not show genuine will to accept change. Then after, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed initiated widespread reforms.
Although TPLF was given a golden parachute not to take responsibility to what it stole and the atrocities it committed, it not only became arrogant but completely disdained the federal authority and acted belligerency.
For example, the TPLF clique rejected the request to apprehend the former security head who is accused of human rights violations to the Federal police. Recently, they had conducted illegal election even though the national election was postponed by the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia due to the COVID-19.
They could not believe the fact that they lost their hegemony and monopoly of political power and economic control. And while they were in their homeland, they continued to fund covert activities in some causes alongside destabilizing forces such as the Oromo extremists OLF-Shene to instigate instability and make Ethiopia ungovernable.
More people from Amhara, Oromo, Tigray, Somali, Gedeo, Konso, Wolayta, Afar and other ethnic groups have been killed or displaced from their place of residence because of ethnic agitation instigated by TPLF. During this time, there have been 130 armed attacks and conflicts across the country. Ethiopia now has one of the largest internally displaced people in Africa estimated somewhat between 1.5 to 2 million.
The TPLFites work hard to realize their destructive vision which they openly declared: “We will make Ethiopia another Syria or Yemen.” They planned and prepared to orchestrate the acts of terror and stroke the unsuspecting Northern Command of the National Defense Forces stationed in Tigray Region.
Thus, the military engagement taken by the federal government is not a war waged on innocent civilians of Tigray. Rather, it is a punitive action to ensure the rule of law in the region and suppress the rebellious political group.
The Ethiopian herald December 19/2020
