BY MENGISTEAB TESHOME
The use of humanitarian aid as a shield to intervene in countries’ internal affairs is an imprudent mistake and ineffectual act that does not see its consequences.
Since recent times, some international humanitarian organizations have been attempting to twist the hands of the Ethiopian Government under the cover of humanitarian aid. However, as many Ethiopians and Friends of Ethiopia uttered, such move is entirely unacceptable and it is against the principles of humanitarian organizations stating internal affairs should be entertained and addressed only by Ethiopians, without the interferences of third party.
Unfortunately, turning a deaf ear to this fact, some countries and organizations are attempting to poke their noses into Ethiopia’s domestic issues.
It is clear that the situation in Tigray State in the northern part of Ethiopia is Ethiopia’s and Ethiopians internal affair that should be addressed by Ethiopians. However, some nations have kept meddling in nation’s domestic issues with the aim to promote their own hidden agenda.
In fact, this is unviable because its people are determined to entertain the issue accordingly, safeguard and uphold the sovereignty of their country at any cost.
The extension of such efforts has led organizations such as the UN Security Council, to conduct a closed meeting. As it is learnt, the Council will hold a meeting next Thursday to discuss Ethiopia’s internal affairs.
Following the soon to be hold UNSC meeting, The Ethiopian Herald has approached two individuals to learn about their reactions and insights on the issue.
Sergeant Demis Gebremichael said that the international community should see issues contextually and/or leave internal affairs of countries for the countries to address it by themselves.
Sergeant Demis, who partook in Badme Warfront and also served as Peacekeeping Force in Sudan, Abiye under a UN Security Council said that it should be well noted that it is the terrorist TPLF group which attacked the Ethiopian National Defense Forces based in Mekelle, as well as other camps situated in the Tigray State. Not only that, but with a drive to incite war in the adjacent areas, neighboring Eritrea and in Bahir Dar and Gondar towns, it committed missiles attacks.
Such kind of treasonous crime had never been happened in nation’s history and it is intolerable act. The terrorist TPLF group has also committed genocide against civilians. The killings that the terrorist faction committed against innocent civilians at Mai Kadra, and at Galicoma in Afar State are also the other indicators of group’s warmongers nature.
The international community should boldly denounce this faction for its belligerence attitude and being source of crisis in the country, and value government’s unilateral humanitarian ceasefire measure declared to access humanitarian aid smoothly and enable farmers plough their lands.
As to him, the declaration though was favorable to the people of Tigray, and an incident that the terrorist enterprise should appreciate it, unluckily, it ignored it and continued committing atrocious attacks.
Currently, the terrorist enterprise is engaged in killing children and women heartlessly, looting properties, destroying infrastructures as well as firing arms against farm animals and killing a large number of cattle of poor farmers in the area in Amhara State in Gasay area, South Gondar while being heavily attacked and withdrawing areas they invaded. “In my view, it is inhumane and unacceptable to execute such attack on civilians.”
International humanitarian law provides protections to civilians and other noncombatants from the hazards of armed conflict. It addresses the conduct of hostilities—the means and methods of warfare—by all sides to a conflict, he further said.
Foremost are the principles of “civilian immunity” and “distinction”—the requirement that civilians may never be the deliberate target of attack and that parties to a conflict must distinguish at all times between combatants and civilians.
Thus, parties to the conflict are required to take all feasible precautions to minimize harm to civilians and civilian objects and to not carry out attacks that fail to discriminate between combatants and civilians, or would cause disproportionate harm to the civilian population.
According to him, direct attacks on civilians and civilian objects are prohibited. The laws of war also prohibit indiscriminate attacks, which strike military objectives and civilians or civilian objects without distinction.
“Sadly, what we are witnessing is that the terrorist TPLF junta is keeping wagging war and attacking civilians. So, the international community should act accordingly and urge TPLF to comply with the laws.”
Contrary to this, undermining the sovereignty of Ethiopia is unacceptable and concerned organizations including UNSC should refrain from siding to one party, he opined.
The international community should walk the talk, keep neutral. “In my view, the real concern of some interested nations is to intervene in Ethiopia’s internal affairs so we should keep on standing in unison,” he concluded.
Eyasu Teshome, resident of Bole Sub City, on his part noted that the people of Ethiopia have suffered a lot and paid great sacrifice for the past close to three decades because of the terrorist TPLF’s deep-rooted, dividing and debilitating political creeds created intentionally to weakened and disintegrate Ethiopia.
As to him, all of the efforts that are being exerted currently by different entities to acknowledge the terrorist enterprise and bring it to power are unrealistic as Ethiopians have had enough. The people have clearly uttered to external entities who are attempting to interfere in nation’s internal affairs with one voice – to take their hands off Ethiopia,
It is unforgettable that the terrorist TPLF had dominated Ethiopian politics that lasted for almost three decades as part of a ruling coalition, and it was responsible for the serious human rights violations it committed against the people.
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD AUGUST 26/ 2021
