BY KFLEEYESUS ABEBE
It is crystal clear that war is a disparaging passage as it indiscriminately claims the lives of many and causes immeasurable property damage thereby making life difficult to deal with. In spite of this fact, there are groups that always fond of tilting down to war and the world has plunged in to different wars because of these belligerent groups. Whenever war breaks out, it is customary for the international community to come together to condemn it, to cease it for the time being and minimize the loss, and to stop it all in all if possible.
The world has got enough lessons from the destruction happened during the first and second World wars. Since then it has been very alert whenever war occurs. As a result of the noble efforts of international community, many lives and property have been saved. Most importantly, the international community has been together to stop or minimize the suffering of mothers, elderly and children.
After World War II, the global community also institutionalized this effort and created institutions such as United Nations. The United Nations Security Council and other similar organizations are working for preventing or minimizing the loss of life and economic cost of war. If war is eminent, various humanitarian organizations line up to help people that are affected by the war. These organizations primarily strive to reach refugees and civilians caught up in the war. Children and women are the most vulnerable at times of war and these organizations attempt to help and be their voice.
However, it is unfortunate not to see this happening in Ethiopia and from the outset of the war the world have been silent to condemn the attack on the northern command of Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF). The world rather was busy finding fault in Ethiopia’s law and order operation that followed. This deafening silence seems to have reached pinnacle as heinous attacks of the terrorist group left uncondemned.
The terrorist Tigray Peoples’ Liberation Front (TPLF) has massacred innocent people in Mai kadra and continued using the elderly, women and children as human shield in its attack. This again isn’t condemned by the international community. On the other hand, the government which is acting responsibly as it announced unilateral ceasefire to minimize the loss of civilians and to give planting seasons for farmers caught between wars. The terrorist group however wants to take advantage of the situation and it is continuously waging war on different fronts. This dangerous and blatant action of TPLF isn’t adequately condemned by international community. The belligerence is rather portrayed as ‘bravery.’
The group doesn’t have redemption. Its deeds are becoming dubious as it is attacking civilians and killed more than 300 Eritrean refugees. This has even been confirmed by United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and other right groups. The most alarming is that its recruitment of child soldiers. This is a serious crime and unacceptable as international humanitarian law-treaty-custom prohibit recruitment and using children under 15 as soldiers. The international law doesn’t not only prohibit child soldering, it also held responsible people who recruit and use children as soldiers for war crime. On March 2012 former president of Congo Thomas Lubanga Dylio was found guilty and sentenced for 14 years of imprisonment of the war crimes of enlisting and conscripting children under the age of 15. The international criminal court of justice is also conducting investigations in 15 countries.
Now the terrorist has been entertaining safe haven in recruiting children for war. Despite there are numerous evidences and pictures circulated online, Western countries prefer to be silent for unknown reasons. The Junta is recruiting and using children with nine and fifteen years age range. Last November, Debretsion Gebremichael was speaking about people’s war. His speech signaled the intent of the group to use children as soldiers. He said, “The whole public will take part; therefore, we call it a people’s war…people’s war means conducted by a civilian population, it means everyone will get involved. Starting from the children [my emphasis] everyone will be taking part.”
The Western media which earned reputation for exposing such acts and playing constructive role in prevention of war crimes from happening now isn’t alarmed. They rather chose to glamor child soldering. The New York Times abetted this appalling act of the terrorist group by building stories that push children to carry arms. The New York Times featured children as heroes. To be specific, a week ago, New York Times presented Declan Welsh’s report from inside Tigray with photos of children carrying arms. In his writing, Declan says “highly motivated young recruits.’ He tried to be politically correct but it is another way of admitting and approving child soldier recruitment. Another writer who is expelled from Ethiopia Simon Minks wrote a similar article that is a textbook example of the media’s moral decline. Other journalists appreciate shots of the child soldiers than questioning its motive, which is glorifying child soldiers as fighters. Stories from Associated Press also carried a similar tone.
On top of this, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki deliberately ignored the question about TPLF child soldiers and TPLF killing civilians in Amhara and Afar regions of Ethiopia. The Biden administration which had been loud to call humanitarian corridor and immediate ceasefire haven’t yet released a statement on TPLF’s refusal to the ceasefire and the use of children as soldiers.
Having all these information and facts at hand, the world especially western countries are suspiciously kept quiet. Wondering and asking why the western is reluctant to condemn and act upon child soldering by TPLF would be fair. Therefore, raising questions like: ‘Don’t Ethiopians lives matter? Shouldn’t Ethiopian children get enough focus like Congolese children or those of Ugandan or Burmese? Would be fair and appropriate.
Child war involvement has many bad consequences to the children themselves and the society at large. Studies found that the enlistment of adolescent children even when they are not sent to war is accompanied by higher risk of attempted suicide, stress-related mental disorders, alcohol abuse and violent behavior. Child recruits who survive armed conflicts frequently suffer psychiatric illness, poor literacy and behavioral problems leading to a risk of poverty and unemployment in adulthood. A number of treaties have sought to curb the participation of children in armed conflicts.
So, it is up to everyone in the global community to condemn, help the Ethiopian government continue growth, stop TPLF child solider recruitment to save them from having gloomy future. If the global community doesn’t act soon, the children would be fated to die as child soldiers or experience lifetime mental illness and poverty in their adulthood.
Editor’s Note: The views entertained in this article do not necessarily reflect the stance of The Ethiopian Herald
The Ethiopian Herald August 5/2021
