BY JOSEPH SOBOKA
In the process of taking military measures to maintain law and order, besides physical consequences, the war might have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety as emotional effects. Such consequences are not unique only to Tigray as many anti-Ethiopia elements in and outside the country are trying to wrongly portray.
The war, as these groups portray, is not between people of Tigray and the government nor is it a civil war that calls for external intervention rather interference. But it is a sheer punitive measure to discipline and put under control the defiant junta and its followers for the sake of the sovereignty of Ethiopia. As citizens of the country, it should have been a must that the elites in the TPLF act as law-abiding citizens as the rest of the people of Ethiopia.
There cannot be a state in a state in one political and geographical territory. Thus, the legitimate government has the mandate to enforce the law to maintain territorial integrity and the national security. This decisive move was taken not unwisely. The atrocious crime that the junta did to Ethiopia’s defense force in the North despite all the sacrifices the soldiers had paid in participating in social activities such as harvesting crops, building roads, fighting the locust invasion and even contributing money from their meager income to build schools, roads, etc is treacherous. This served as an ignition for the unintentional and yet unquestionably necessary law enforcement operation.
The Ethiopian National Defense Forces and the Amhara Special Force and the militia, swiftly reorganized and adequately equipped themselves for the inevitable law enforcement operation in a very short time. In addition, to ensure the backup for the operation, the material and psychological support of the Ethiopian people was vital.
The irony of the whole situation is that the TPLF instead of ensuring development and democracy, it was fully engaged in preparing itself militarily, by digging trenches and underground passages, and training and equipping its forces with sophisticated weapons only to suffer a humiliating defeat in a short time. In refutation, or in plain language, to prove wrong the allegation that unarmed civilians were killed and injured by the Ethiopian defense forces, a prior tactical strategy of operation that targeted only the junta’s special force and its militia had been in place ahead of time.
The people of Tigray, whose yoke of the harsh oppressive rule of the junta for thirty-one years was thrown off their shoulders by the heroic acts of the Ethiopian forces, are now liberated and relatively back to normal life. The new Tigray Regional State is currently in the process of reorganizing its administrative structures to systematically clean up the defiled atmosphere and set up the region’s holistic development and political machineries afresh.
The displaced people, who were caught up in the fire, are now returning to their homes, by the relentless efforts of the government and the people of Ethiopia at large. The problem of the food shortage in the region, the issue that rather seems to be blown out of proportion, is being addressed by the government in collaboration with various good Samaritans in the country and beyond. While the food delivered by different groups, there appears a delay in distribution as it takes time to identify the target groups.
Yet, the unfounded rumors are being spread like a wildfire in the country and internationally as if there is widespread social disorder such as robbing, looting and the likes. If at all they have taken place, evidences from the Tigray region indicate that it is done by the remnants of the fleeing junta. However, the intensity of situation is being put under control by the joint efforts of the people and the defense force.
The reports of these incidences daily reach the people of Ethiopia through the mass media. We can easily witness that some foreign media with their agenda to misrepresent the ongoing situation, exaggerate the situation in their reporting to the international community. Among their arguments is the inaccessibility of the area for the international humanitarian assistance since pro TPLF armed groups shoot at their trucks loaded with food and health facilities. And that is why the assistance is reduced. This argument is a lie in its entirety with little elements of truth.
As a matter of fact, the World Food Program is distributing food to the people. Abreast of this, information indicates that some embassies have expressed better view of what is going on in post TPLF Tigray. Nevertheless, local assistance by different nationalist Ethiopians from different regions of the country and institutions are doing their best to ensure the provision of food, medical aid and other necessary assistance as gesture of intervention to address the problem in the Tigray.
Coupled with that, the post TPLF Tigray Regional administration is being organized afresh in spite of the destruction TPLF did to the basic infrastructure such as roads, telecommunication, health facilities, electric power including Aksum Airport as a downright expression of how much TPLF hates the people of Tigray. Even though the renovating the destroyed infrastructure calls for a huge investment, the government is looking at every possibility to bring back the situation in the region to normalcy.
The Federal Government and the people of Ethiopia are doing everything possible whatever it takes. And the result has been fruitful to the exceeding joy of every Tigray people. Leadership has been set up; the major bureaus are properly in place and the different offices have more or less become functional. Coupled with this, banks, shops and health facilities to a certain degree are providing services. The new leadership is doing everything possible to rebuild the destroyed infrastructure and trying to address the water problem in Mekelle. The Federal government, together with the security department, is fully engaged in stabilizing and restoring peace and order in the region as well.
Contrary to false information that millions of people are suffering due to lack of humanitarian assistance, twenty-six non-governmental organizations in collaboration with the government are providing food and non-food items to support the affected civilians in the region even though it is not a lasting solution. More needs to be done to put the situation under control once and for all.
The reports coming out from Tigray indicate that there is plenty of provision that can sustain the people for a while or somehow until next harvest – the strategy the newly formed administration of the region is working hard on. To the joy of the people, banks and offices are open; light and telecommunication are relatively functional in many parts including Mekelle. The established command post in cooperation with the people is actively engaged in clearing the region of the remnants of the junta’s force to ensure peace and security in the region. At the same time, it protects the government and civilian establishments on which the future development of the region is based. Militia training is underway for the purpose of strengthening the endeavors to restore law and order. Because of this, the people are relieved of the fear of sudden attacks are pursuing their daily activities confidently.
The dissemination of false information by some political groups in the region about the massacre of fifty-five thousand unarmed civilians during the war in an effort to sway the international community is something the federal government, Ethiopian embassies around the world, and the people have to seriously stand up to before the issue gets established as truth.
It is utterly incredible that the internationally reputed army as a UN peacekeeping force in many countries can do such a crime to disrepute itself and its country. No, that can’t happen at all and it is as simple as that. But the tragedy of the situation is that some international media gulp the false misinformation without analyzing its validity and disseminate it. The right and the true image of the country have to exhaustively be revealed to the world through the mass and social media. Perfection cannot be achieved over night; anything is possible when the right time and appropriate conditions merge.
The Ethiopian Herald February 17/2021
