BY DEJEN RAS & GHIONAWIW BEDILU
What is a target audience? Wikipedia defines it as the intended audience or readership of a publication, advertisement, or other message catered specifically to say intended audience. One has to identify targets to be effective in business or any kind of dealings. Cordwainer Smith said propaganda consists of the planned use of any form of public or mass-produced communication designed to affect the minds and emotions of a given group for a specific purpose, whether military, economic, or political.
This means, if you are one of the targets, you need to be vigilant in using appropriate filters to protect or save yourself from deliberate and willful messaging. Otherwise, you will be a victim of disinformation, mal-information, and misinformation, and as a result, you act erroneously at the wrong time persuaded by the crafty scheme of the propagandist.
One of the strategies TPLF and its ruminant forces use in their endeavor since the old days are using creative crafty lies and propagating it by inflating it using every modality they have. We remember how they used to attack the Derg military by using the strategy called “koreta” (a military tactic used by the rebels) and speak about it using the radio waves at that time by exaggerating it. One can say this was one of the reasons why they won over the Derg military at the time. At the beginning of the conflict in November 2020 they started to exaggerate the numbers and tell lies.
But they were outsmarted and were defeated in a few days. They were indeed in short of time to contemplate and create new lies that can be supported by any amount of data (evidence) small or big. They were out of options and few of them managed to run and hide out in caves and valleys of difficult terrains. Whenever they get time to contemplate and create blatant lies, they target several audiences.
Whether they share images to communicate as if a chemical attack or massacre happened in the region or they show how the cities and buildings are destroyed, it is all about persuading someone out there in their favor, and not about telling the truth. In this piece, we want to identify those intentional targets so that the audiences learn how to handle the huge amount of lies and exaggerations manufactured by these people to save themselves.
Target #1: The international audience
These are people who have used the international community to get power on their own ethnic group, the entire country, and the Horn of Africa region. The only way they can get dominance is via the help of some western powers, and organizations. They have convinced the western powers by saying that they are the most trusted, fierce and resilient people who have defeated the DERG, and they have dominated the African horn for almost three decades. If this picture of them is dim in the eyes of the west, then they know that their western partners will throw them under the bus.
That is the painful scenario for them since they will be of no use for anything. So, all the crafty lies and schemes, for example, the recent drama in Mekele where they marched the so-called soldiers of the Ethiopian army is one vivid example. They want to say that they still are strong to reckon with. The fact is most of the people in that parade was their own people. But the message is sent out already. The westerners have got it and reported it, maybe also believed in it without fact checking on what has transpired at the ground.
While Ethiopia was holding the 6th national election, they were planning another evil scheme, which they had not used before in this magnitude. They were working relentlessly in persuading the UN Security Council, the US and EU who sadly and regrettably fell prey for their endless propaganda. We know now that they were on the verge of sanctioning Ethiopia. They call it “Zemecha Alula Aba Nega” to involve the whole people of Tigray. Alula is one of the best and iconic sons of Ethiopia in our contemporary history. His name cannot be used for this evil scheme, but they have no moral gauge when it comes to what they want.
The scheme was to stage and record the Ethiopian army killing civilians at unprecedented levels and share it to the international community so that they are convinced to intervene, immediately. They allegedly used communication channels and equipment they got from the WORLD FOOD PROGRAM (WFP). They told the women, children, old people, and priests to participate in the resistance and fight the army. The rebels dressed as civilians and opened fire on the military hoping the military would fire back on them. So that they can record it and send it live using those international satellite-based communication networks of WFP.
The people of Tigray were persuaded or forced to do this. They help their rebels to stab the army in the back. But the responsible army of the country decided to leave them alone for a while and left Tigray for the time being at a considerable cost. Not because it was overpowered by TPLF foot soldiers but because it avoided fighting with the ordinary people as it is a well trained professional army with codes of ethics and strict rules of engagement. If the army had overreacted, it would have ended up in the trap allowing the TPLF to win. Cameras were positioned there for their number one audience, the western upper echelon who slept in bed with TPLF. By its sober analysis, understanding and subsequent actions accordingly, the Ethiopian government has won over these evils and their enabling partners by diffusing and effectively undoing their pre intended plots.
By the way, all that shouting about manmade famine in Tigray, women rape, massacre, and genocide was staged by design, hoping the partners will decide to intervene. We are not saying there was no rape, there was. But who did the sabotage? Even before the war, many NGOs were reporting that there was an escalation of such an event while the region was under TPLF leadership. It means there was a culture of raping girls. Now, when there are no formal authorities in the region, and when more than 10,000 inmates are released from prison, deliberately by TPLF when they know that they lost the war.
It might be more of their own regional issue than the military of Ethiopia who lived there for more than three decades with them without any blame. Or we are not saying there is no food problems, even way before the war, 1.8 million people live on food assistance. Even during this war time, the issue will be severe, but they were interrupting the logistics of the food distribution in every part of the region and sabotaging the process using their own people who work with the government and international organizations. Even farmers were not allowed to collect their harvest when they started the war and they do not want the farmer to prepare the farm as it is a rainy season now. Nothing is left alone to function well in Tigray. They do not want any other actor or agent to be successful in Tigray. They want these persuading events to happen for the international audience, especially the westerns to act in their favor.
Target #2: Their own people inside the country and in the diaspora
The second targets are their own people. If they lose their support, then they know that they are done forever. Therefore, they have to continue to lie to their own people. Remember, most of the people in the region are conditioned for more than four decades on their narratives and propaganda. If they do not provide them, the psychology of the people will be in the worst place. They will be depressed. Their support will dwindle. So, the propaganda targets these people seriously. Keep feeding their ego and psyche to get continuous support.
Target #3: The Ethiopian army, government and people
This audience is the enemy in the eyes of TPLF. Hence the morale of the army and the unity of the Ethiopian government is the target for them. The mindset of the army is key for winning a war. If the army did not give it all, it is possible that it would give up and run away. That is what happened to many of the hundred thousand DERG military. They abandon their powerful weapons, surrender, and most run away. Not only that, the people at the government start to divide, sabotages, and blames each other. That is the goal of TPLF. As they say in Amharic ጦር ከፈታው ወሬ የፈታው ይበልጣል!
The Ethiopian people are not exempted from the propaganda and lies of TPLF ruminants. In fact, they have used their Digital Wayne front to create discord between the different ethnic groups of the country. One creates using names that are typical of another ethnic group and curses the whole day a different ethnic group to insight fighting between several ethnic groups. Not only that, they share images and videos as well as stories that can create discord between people and the government. They are afraid of the unity of the people of Ethiopia; hence they target them with different contents.
Target #4: The diaspora supporter of the Country
They also target the diaspora who are working day and night in fighting the digital warfare. Digital Wayne was launched three years ago, in 2018. Its diaspora network supported with many millions of dollars to buy robots, western media, and political and scholar elites in the western systems. The Ethiopian diaspora are engaged defending this without meaningful resources and coordination. For the past few decades, the diaspora has been engaged in dismantling the TPLF lead government. But these groups of people are not homogeneous. So, the terrorist TPLF remnants try to divide and create discord among them.
Filtering TPLF propaganda is KEY for the future
Why do we need to be vigilant and suspect their data or information? The answer is simple. Information is the currency of victory, as someone said it. Actually, they know that their lies and schemes will be exposed within a few days. But they do it anyway. Because for them when they create lies and decide to propagate it, it means at that very moment, there is another fight or UN security meeting or EU meeting, or something else that they want the decision to be in their favor. It is all calculated. They always have audiences and purposes. So, they might use you and later throw you under the bus. Mostly, they do not go out and lie just for nothing. These are the most selfish and cunning people. As they say, “የሌባ አይነደረቅ መልሶ ልብ ያደርቅ,” approximate translation, the persuasive thief argues more and makes you more tired and give up.
Their message at a time can address only one target or multiple targets. For example, parading the so-called “Ethiopian soldiers” in Mekele (as most of them are their own people dressed in the stolen military dress) has targeted many audiences. Even when their message does not appeal to you, they send it out for another target. Anyone who accepts their propaganda and acts accordingly makes a grave mistake in your engagement that may have a daring consequence in your career, business, and life. There are plenty of examples that have already happened. Ask westerners like CNN reporters who have already made such grave mistakes. Therefore, put your filtering wisdom in place; do not take their messaging at its face value!
Editor’s Note: The views entertained in this article do not necessarily reflect the stance of The Ethiopian Herald
The Ethiopian herald July 6/2021
