BY SOLOMON DIBABA
On the 22nd of April 2021, the UNSC issued a press statement regarding the situation in Tigray Region of Ethiopia. The Statement provided acknowledgment to the effort made by the GoE regarding the provision of humanitarian assistance to citizens in Tigray.
The Statement is the first of its kind with balanced view of the situation in Tigray and shows that the UNSC is back on track from being carried away by venomous international propaganda by TPLF and its paid lobbyists across the world.
It is interesting to note that the Statement indicates that TPLF’s misinformation campaign has missed the intended target.
Although Ethiopia has already started to provide more than 70 percent of humanitarian assistance needed for Tigray, it took several months for the UNSC even to recognize that fact that Ethiopia was providing humanitarian support for displaced and needy population in the region as a matter of obligation for a responsible government who was forced to address the consequences of the tragic and inhuman vandalism and barbaric actions perpetrated by the TPLF.
The statement called for scaled up humanitarian assistance to Tigray as opposed to heaps of empty concerns and blame shifting by a number of advanced countries. In a tone with the same wavelength with the government of Ethiopia, the statement called for unfettered humanitarian access to all people in need including in the context of food security.
The Statement rightly underscored the necessary link between immediate humanitarian response to ascertaining the injection of food security programs as part of the rehabilitation and sustainable food self-sufficiency in the region.
In its Statement, the UNSC called for the continuation of international relief efforts in a manner consistent with UN guiding principles of humanitarian emergency assistance based on humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence. The Statement noted that the restoration of normalcy is an important precondition for full scale operation of humanitarian assistance in the region.
Ethiopia was consistently reporting on the efforts underway by the government in restoring the rule of law in the region which was in so many cases misunderstood and even labeled as ethnic cleansing while in reality, the armed forces were taking greater care for civilian population in the region not to be trapped in the entire law enforcing process.
Regarding the allegation on human rights and abuses, Ethiopia has taken a decisive step to work on through investigation of the alleged violations of human rights by agreeing to coordinate a united investigation which included Ethiopian Human Rights Commission and the UN Higher Commission for Human Rights Commission to take the perpetrators to the courts of law to seek justice for the victims. Incidentally the Statement accorded recognition to Ethiopia’s efforts in welcoming African Commission for Human and Peoples Rights.
The Statement noted that the members of the Security Council reiterated their strong support to regional and sub-regional efforts and organizations, namely the African Union and IGAD, and underscored the importance of their continued engagement.
The Statement concluded by stressing that the members of the Security Council reaffirmed their strong commitment to the sovereignty, political independence, territorial integrity and unity of Ethiopia.
For the first time in 5 months since the tragic incident that was committed on the restive Northern Command, the UNSC was able to have a clear view of the needs on the ground in Tigray along with commending Ethiopia’s efforts to resolve the crisis. This Statement is indeed the product of Ethiopia’s transparent diplomatic initiatives and the consistent position to abide with the UN Charter and relevant provisions of international law.
The last two lines of the Statement is very significant for mutual respect between the UNSC and Ethiopia and for constructive engagement between the country and the world’s most powerful international organization.
Furthermore, the Statement is a confirmation of willingness by both the UNSC and Ethiopia to work in amicable and trustful manner to ease the plight of needy citizens in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia.
The TPLF notorious killers of their own Keith and Kin are in the last ditch of their barbaric activities trying to destabilize and destroy the sovereignty of the peoples of Ethiopia by fully cooperating with the enemies of the country and local mercenaries who are out on the run to establish a de facto
state of Tigray to once more continue their tyrannical rule on patriotic Ethiopians of Tigray. This day dreaming is being shattered by the disciplined and self-sacrificing gallant Ethiopian armed forces day in and day out.
When it comes to implementing UNSC recommendations set in the Statement, I think is very important to consider four levels of restoration of stability in Tigray. In the first place, government institutions including police and security forces need to be reestablishing beginning from the villages up to the regional level. Second, the ongoing relief program needs to be expanded to
include rehabilitation schemes which could include agricultural packages for needy farmers along with renovating already constructed micro earth dams for water harvesting to promote small scale irrigation, land rehabilitation programs including afforestation and soil conservation, Third, partner agencies and international financial magnets may support rehabilitating the already dysfunctional infrastructure facilities like village water and sanitation programs, school feeding, support on medical supplies and special programs for unemployed youth, under 5 children and their mothers.
As the damage done by the barbaric force of TPLF is gradually being rehabilitated, reports from the regional interim government indicate that looting, theft and all kinds of lawlessness id rampant in Mekele, the regional capital. While such illegal actions are ultimately targeting the residents of the city, the population is not expected to sit on the fence but should cooperate with the security forces to stop more than 10,000 criminals which were release by the TPLF from various prisons in the city.
The triumvirate of forces out to balkanize Ethiopia are in their last attempt to curtail the upcoming election in Ethiopia and come to assistance for Sudan and Egypt to sabotage the second round of filling GERD. The entire population should stand up to the joint actions of all anti-Ethiopia forces.
The political parties need to also contribute their part outside their press statements and verbal commitments about unity. Political parties that are expected to rule this country if elected should not expect peace, security and stability to be dished out to them only through the efforts of the government. This is highly critical and time bound.
Furthermore, as this is strictly a humanitarian issue, the peoples of Tigray in diaspora need to stop their infatuation with TPLF which is running down the hill on quicksand and support their fellow citizens at this critical time.
The Ethiopian Herald April 27/2021
