BY MENGISTEAB TESHOME
Ethiopia is a land of majestic history, colorful diversity and heroic people. It is a country that has hosted both Islam and Christianity since long before these religions were even known beyond the Middle East, a country that defeated colonialists decisively, and has been a melting pot of diverse cultures and languages. It is a country that has come to be known as a Promised Land for blacks across the globe.
However, with the introduction of the digital age and the accompanying intense global competition to control the region, the country is under assault from multiple fronts, with the objective of destabilizing and fracturing it. Presently, ethnically-motivated genocidal violence is widespread, and an anachronistic constitution is tearing apart the fabric of the country that has bound the people together for generations.
It is quite clear that the instigators are planning that if Oromo and Amhara and other ethnic groups like Afar and Somalia among others stand against each other the scale of the violence with widen and opens to operate in more forceful way to undermine the unity of the nation.
The wise people that have been in unison had undermined the call not par taking in nay violent activities, if things had been kept on as per their plan Ethiopia’s unity had been in question. But thanks to the law enforcement bodies and the entire people they had foiled it.
Each regional State is engaged in rooting out those who are responsible. It is one sigh that the government is doing in line with putting justice and ensuring peace nationwide.
Those who are behind all the atrocities’ in various forms and an attempt to make those in leadership positions, who have either allowed, incited or participated in the catastrophic march against innocents should be accountable because it a crime against humanity.
We are witnessing that over the last three years, members of the Amhara ethnic group and other minorities and followers of the Ethiopian Orthodox church and Islam has incessantly faced genocide, crimes against humanity and internal displacements. It is hoped that the measures underway to bring those responsible for such crimes to justice can serve as a means of prevention, and possibly open a door for the participation of all Ethiopians to assemble peacefully and chart a new future to this troubled country.
In all these efforts, confusion and complacency in addressing the killing of innocents through various approaches seems a long way from over, reports are confirming that threatening realities are emerging In my view unless concerted effort exerted to bring under control in months with proven measures. the grime will keep on.
The incidents of crimes are rarely talked about in the government-controlled media or by international journalists. The so-called international human rights organizations, which seem to look at gross human rights violations through separate prisms and moral values, have generally been silent in the face of the brutal crimes committed in full view of the public, while focusing more on sensational issues, such as the imprisonment of political figures. These entities have inexplicably ignored to report repeated incidents of gruesome slaughtering and decapitation of innocent civilians that include the murder of pregnant mothers and butchering of their unborn babies, as well as the burning of churches and destruction of properties.
We know that the brutal acts in Ethiopia have been documented through videotapes and eyewitness accounts of surviving families, who have told stories of how their parents, brothers, sisters and mothers were brutally killed and raped right in front of their eyes. Social media is overwhelmed by the ghastly images and horrendous stories.
Today Ethiopia is ushering the largest number of internal displaced people in Africa, primarily because of the unbridled ethnic cleansings that are deceitfully neglected by the government and methodically and cunningly enabled by regional authorities.
In my view, all credible human rights organizations and members of the media should expose and investigate and learn firsthand about the crimes being committed against all innocent people and values.
The Ethiopian Herald April 16/2021
