BY JOSEPH SOBOKA
The first major reason for meddling in other country’s internal affairs is nothing other than to undermine free society; violating cultural sovereignty. The United States for that matter has a long history of rigging polls, supporting military coups, channeling funds and spreading political propaganda in other countries. It is documented that 60 different independent countries including Ethiopia have been the targets of such interventions.
Forcefully, these countries have to know Ethiopia’s thousands of year independence; social , political and cultural back ground . Ethiopian culture and its history did not and will not allow interference trends above all. The country has its own distinct national identity; its people has been paying lives for its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The means by which food aid should be delivered is just a vicious scheme to endanger the sovereignty of Ethiopia. Speaking the truth, if Americans are interested in feeding the people, the first question should be ‘how and where does the terrorist TPLF army, estimated about two thousand, get food? As the situation indicates, the terrorist army is starving and for that matter, it is the army that is raping women; the fact that does not indicate that it comes from starving society. Even if it is accepted that there could be hunger, America and the terrorist TPLF are using the issue for political purposes.
Therefore, we Ethiopians should find means to deliver food, if there are other Ethiopians in the region who are suffering from hunger. With full understanding the whole situation, Ethiopia should not allow terrorist TPLF’s propaganda prevail. To cite how things can be maneuvered, probably during the 1985 famine when the terrorist group drove hundreds of innocent Tigrian farmers to Sudan upon which many of them lost their life on the way is a good example. This fact is obtained from what Gebremedhin Araya, Dr. Aregawi Berhe, and others wrote. Thus, the group uses the circumstance for its political consumption but not that it is concerned about the wellbeing of the Tigray people.
Even the Americans, suggesting the route through which food can be delivered is their usual strategy to force the Ethiopia to surrender. They, in the name of food assistance, want to open a corridor to Sudan. What should be done to end this evil strategy? Well, Ethiopia should break the false calculation of the viability of the terrorist which the Americans tenaciously hold on. To do that, not only forcing terrorist group out of where it is now, but also by creating a buffer zone and fencing and make it stay there.
The objectives of the authorities of America like Samantha Power and others is not to help the Ethiopian people. As a matter of fact, there are people suffering from hunger in Amhara and Afar regions, too. Akin to this, a certain UN official said that the food aid should be accessible not only to Tigray but also to Afar and Amhara; but there is no mention of such thing by the Americans at all.
On the other hand, as it is known, USAID is a CIA civilian core that Americans use it for spying purpose. Abreast of this, one of the three suspended organizations is terrorist junta’s strong supporter and it was caught red handed with satellite communication facility out of the knowledge of the government. The remaining two organizations employed people without legal work permit for six months. This is the very indicator that westerners are bent on putting Ethiopia on her knees and their weapon is the TPLF. But if we defeat TPLF, this mischief will be done away with. Fortunately, one exceedingly pleasing case is that Ethiopians are wholeheartedly uniting.
Regarding what should be done, the Ethiopian government is giving direct answers to American questions is one promising signs. Ato Mitiku Kassa and other relevant Ethiopian officials are reflecting the firm stands of Ethiopian government on their twitter page. Everything the officials are doing as of late is the issue that should be encouraged. For some time, the reason why the terrorist had the upper hand in the propaganda is that there was not much done on the part of Ethiopians. For a long time it was only few people participating; but now many are involved in the endeavor that has helped to make information accessible to international community and people in the country as well.
Concerning the food assistance, why do Americans say unless the corridor to Sudan is opened, Ethiopia will end up in chaos and there will not be peace for her at all? Their concern is not at all related to the food assistance. For instance from Mekele to Port Sudan is 1306 km and it is more than 17 hours’ drive; Djibouti is 771 km from Mekele; Mitsiwa is 398 km from Mekele which is about five and half hours’ drive. Therefore to deliver assistance to Tigray, it is easy for anyone to figure out which route is quite feasible. But the insistence of the Americans indicates a clandestine agenda in the guise of food delivery.
How can the American government keep on like that? Ethiopian government has clearly indicated its position akin to this issue; and it says it cannot compromise Ethiopian sovereignty. Then what is the solution?
It is proper to see what the Americans have been doing so far. First, they reflected their own stand and succeeded in winning the European Union to their side and then proceeded to United Nations via the Security Council. They tried to make international community to pressurize Ethiopia in which they could not succeed. So in cooperation with European Community they stopped the assistance for security and some Europeans as individual nations stopped budget assistance. Thus, they are able to make a limited economic sanction. But that did not make the Ethiopian government flinch a bit from its stand. Americans, the efforts they made to win the support of China and Russia in the Security Council failed drastically.
Obviously, Chinese have their stand and also their own security concern. They analyze Ethiopia’s situation from the perspective of their national interest and make decisions favorable to them by resisting the US’s pressure. Now they are not in a position to implement American policy, that time has long gone.
Russia, similarly, is independently implementing her policy. Thus in spite what has happened to them, Americans have gone to the Security Council at sundry times presenting issues of the Nile, the election, Tigray and the like in attempt to cause international pressure on Ethiopia in vain. Coupled with these, the efforts they made to rally the African Union behind them did not succeed either.
The question then is how can they make their desires be implemented? Perhaps they can go to the extent of persuading rather compelling countries that have strong economic ties with Ethiopia to stop their relation with Ethiopia. International Financial institutions such as International Monitory Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, if not totally withholding loan or grant, but by delaying they can put pressure on Ethiopia.
In the face of such impossibilities, how can the American government keep on like that? The government of Ethiopian has clearly indicated its position akin to this issue; and it said it cannot compromise the sovereignty of Ethiopian.
However, it is good to see the things Americans have been doing to negatively impact Ethiopia; first they vociferously aired their stand regarding the unilateral cease fire agreement. Secondly they did all they could to rally European Union behind them against Ethiopia which was not successful. Thirdly, they proceeded to the United Nations to make the issue an international concern by trying to influence countries to impose pressure on Ethiopia; that too, was futile.
This country in addition to the foreign diplomatic efforts, it interferes in the internal affairs of Ethiopia to the extent of realigning the regional territories by trying to dictate which border is Tigray’s and which is Amhara’s; the fact that does not concern them at all; it is sheer internal issue in which the mandated government can manage the organization and structuring its borders as it deems it proper. Thus, the tactics Americans are applying it is an indication to what extent they are trying to dismantle Ethiopia, a sovereign country, it is pathetic.
Of course they have money, diplomatic image and they have the power and they might continue to pressurize Ethiopia as much as possible. They might also support the terrorist financially by conduct the transaction through the supporters of junta group in Egypt and Sudan. Yet it is unlikely that it can develop terrorist TPLF militarily. No matter how terrorist cannot breach the siege and advance into hinterland. Americans can employ every means to pressurize Ethiopia, but as long as the people maintain and strengthen their unity and stand up to the aggressor unflinchingly, the sovereignty of the country can stay intact. Regarding economic pressure, if Ethiopians including the diaspora raise money and support the government, the victory will loom on a not too distant horizon.
The Ethiopian Herald August 29/2021
