Decrying for more access yet providing little help
BY ADDISALEM MULAT
An unanticipated thing happened in the early morning of 4, November under the umbrella of the Northern Command of the Ethiopian National Defense Force.
It was the day that broke the hearts of Ethiopians residing at home and abroad. At that instance, all without exception could not believe their ears on the grounds that they did not expect this kind of diabolic and inhuman acts would take place in Ethiopian soil by any means.
The thing was the criminal TPLF clique attacked the Northern Command of the Ethiopian National Deference Force that has been situated in the Tigray region for more than two decades with the purpose of doing away with the federal government from power by force, looting military equipment and other military possession of the nation.
The sudden assault was a preplanned and perfidious act that was carried out by the TPLF Junta clique. In doing so, the junta had caused unsuspected human anguish by showing unaccustomed treachery.
In the same vein, the TPLF Junta officials were persistently funding and coaching their clique with a view to foiling the democratic transition across the country. On top of that, they were partaking in sowing the seeds of hatred and discord in the midst of the various nations, nationalities, and peoples of Ethiopia. They left no stone unturned to thwart the ongoing reform all over the country.
In former times, the TPLF Junta clique was constantly carrying out dreadful transgression in various parts of the nation such as Arsi, Shashemene, Benshangul, and things of that sort. In addition to that, they were known for breaching human rights and fattening their pockets at the expense of their compatriots.
Even worse, the TPLF leaders asserted to have established new management in accordance with unauthorized polling. Besides that, despite the fact that the government of Ethiopia made an effort to get to the bottom of the problem through dialogue, they kept on turning a deaf ear.
Following the attack on the Northern Command, the Ethiopian National Defense Forces took the law enforcement operation and accomplished the mission with flying colors at the earliest opportunity.
More and unimpeded access to Tigray, how relief agencies fail to make impact
In the present climate, the federal government has been bringing fugitives to justice in furtherance of ensuring tranquility, delivering public amenities, and trying to rebuild the Tigray state that is yet to reel from TPLF induced impact. Moreover, the government has been providing humanitarian aid to people of Tigray affected in the law enforcement operation.
In a similar vein, the incumbent is making an effort to tackle humanitarian demands, amend harmed infrastructure, bring aggressors to justice, and other similar things. Besides these efforts ,some international organizations and relief agencies have been asking for more access to the region to firsthand witness the situation in the state.
The government has been fulfilling its responsibility to provide unimpeded access to the region and allowing both aid agencies and media to assess the situation in their naked eyes.
Only the week, about 40 resident Ambassadors and diplomats of foreign countries in Addis Ababa were able to pay a visit to Mekelle city. They were welcomed by Dr. Mulu Nega, Chief Executive of the Interim Administration of Tigray. Previously, over 130 relief agencies and seven media outlets were granted access to the state .
Humanitarian agencies and the international community have been asked to deliver humanitarian aid taking the most of the unfettered access given to them by the government. However, despite granted access, relief agencies have failed to walk their talk, still 70 percent of humanitrain aid is being covered by the government .
The Federal Government has taken the lead in providing humanitarian assistance for several months now with more than 84,000 metric tons, reaching 4.1million people in the region, Prime Minister Abiy said lately.
Extensive rebuilding work is being undertaken in the region. Telecom and electricity lines have been repaired in most cities and towns. Banks are operating fully. Health centers have been opened and so have schools. As of yesterday, March 8, schools throughout the country, including the Tigray region, have sat for school leaving certificate examinations.
The Government of Ethiopia has also taken concrete steps to address alleged human rights abuses that might have occurred within the context of the law enforcement operation triggered by the TPLF. The government has also signaled its willingness to collaborate with relevant UN agencies for the purpose of these investigations.
Smear campaign and misinformation
Sad as it may sound, even though the federal government works hard day in and day out to bring the Tigray region back to normalcy, some international media outlets have been getting off track working hand in glove with the TPLF clique residing in various parts of the world.
Other than that, some print and electronic media outlets of the world have been perplexing the international community through disinformation and cooked-up stories that can cause unrest and chaos across the country. What they report and the reality on the ground is a different kettle of fish. As they do not care about the wellbeing of Ethiopia and its people they have been endeavoring to add fuel to the fire.
As some international media outlets attach importance to their selfish interest, they do not care about the peace and tranquility of Ethiopia. Against this background, the international community does not have to rely on a wide array of media outlets that do not live up to their expectations.
At the current time, eight international media are active in the Tigray regional state for the reason that they are given full access to maneuver there as they wish.
Ethiopians reaction to fake news
As the Ethiopian Diasporas residing in various parts of the world were very furious regarding the mainstream media reporting and the reaction of the international community towards Ethiopia, they staged protests in various parts of the world with the object of revealing things going on behind closed curtains.
Some of the slogans they were chanting include Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed is the only Commander-in-Chief, Ethiopia is an ally, not a threat, TPLF never represents the people of Tigray, US demand TPLF fugitives to peacefully surrender, TPLF uses civilians as a human shield, Biden Administration does not try to resurrect TPLF and others.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Demeke Mekonnen regarding the demonstration tweeted, “Thank you to our people in the US for your patriotic deeds to back up the government of Ethiopia’s efforts and let the world know the facts on the ground in Ethiopia. I am astonished by your enthusiasm and dedication to uphold the interests of your country.”
In the same fashion, the Deputy Prime Minister urged newly appointed Ethiopian ambassadors to Australia, Ghana, Italy, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, South Sudan, and Senegal to broaden the bipartite and multilateral ties. Furthermore, he commanded them to effectuate digital diplomacy with the purpose of helping the world comprehend the ongoing reality on the ground.
The flows of open letters to the UNSC
Be that as it may, Taye Atske Selasie, the UN Security Council, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Ethiopia to the United Nations reaffirmed Ethiopia’s preparedness to enter upon affirmatively and invigorated the international community to heighten assistance.
In the same vein, an open letter to President Joseph Biden from an ordinary American of Ethiopian heritage. In the letter, he expressed his concern regarding things going on under the administration of the president which has been giving the cold shoulder to facts on the ground.
He also expounded the fact that his administration is moving the country into uncharted territory and pouring cold water on the long-standing interest of the United States of America in the Horn of Africa.
As to the statement, the call made by the state department to pull back the Amhara forces from the Tigray regional state is erroneous and hazardous. Moreover, the call in black and white demonstrates a complete deficiency of awareness in connection with the discrepancies and intricacies of African nations like Ethiopia.
The root causes of law enforcement operation in Tigray
A statement delivered by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali to the African Union Peace and Security Council on the current situation in Northern Ethiopia said, “Since April 2018, Ethiopia has been undertaking an unprecedented wave of reforms towards the realization of a true democracy. The three decades preceding my administration were tainted with state capture by a minority clique. To maintain power and control, the TPLF pitted ethnic groups against one another, fueling resentment, mistrust, and animosity, while utilizing state power to suppress any form of dissent.”
He went on to say, “The period 2016-2018 was a clear demonstration of the Ethiopian people’s unity in saying enough to TPLF’s systematic oppression. The deep political, economic, and social reforms initiated by my administration since 2018 have been rooted in the demands and needs of the Ethiopian people. And undertaking such reforms in a period of transition is not an easy feat.”
“Ethiopia continues to be in a transitional phase as my administration, together with the Ethiopian people, work to rebuild our institutions in a manner that reflects our diversity.
“As my administration intensified the work to build democratic institutions; to exercise a primacy of human rights; and to undertake tasks aimed at untapped potential for national prosperity, the TPLF embarked on a wave of overt and covert operations to make Ethiopia ungovernable.”
Beyond the domestic terrorism TPLF cultivated over the past three years, they also vowed to utilize their existing networks to destabilize the Horn region, in attempts to undermine regional integration.
The straw that broke the camel’s back arrived on November 4, 2020, when the Northern Command of the Ethiopian Defense Forces, stationed in Tigray
With a mandate from the House of People’s Representatives to intervene, the Provisional Administration of Tigray was put in place, while the National Defense Forces were given the instruction to protect and defend the Constitutional order.
They committed atrocious crimes against humanity in Maikadra and utilizing the resources they plundered through corruption from the country, hired lobbyists internationally in attempts to convince the international community that they as a criminal clique were the victim.
The Ethiopian Herald March 14/2021
