It is undeniable that humanitarian and development aid agencies are making a difference in the life of both citizens and aliens, especially the disadvantaged section of our society. Most of them are doing their jobs playing by the rule, while a few of them act like a double-aged sword.
These civic organizations use the humanitarian and development activities they provide to the needy as a vehicle to execute other hidden missions assigned to them by political powers influencing their financial resources. In other cases, the leadership of such aid organizations may abuse their responsibilities for personal gains.
USAID is one of the leading international humanitarian and development organizations working in Ethiopia. It has been active for the last six decades, providing both humanitarian and development assistance for Ethiopia with little media attention as most NGOs do. But now, things are not the way they used to be. USAID seems to have jumped in a kind of media circus here, with the spotlight of the circus arena falling on the organization’s administrator.
We have known the name USAID since four decades ago, when its edible oil cans and the milk powder cartons that bear the American flag and labeled “Not to be Sold”, were ubiquitous in almost every kiosk. Until the crisis irrupts in the north, most Ethiopians heard little about the people behind USAID. But now, the name Samantha Power has become a staple news subject for the local media.
This week the USAID media circus made a new turn when the organization’s Mission Director came to the media spotlight to throw some light on the controversy surrounding his organization’s humanitarian activates in North Ethiopia. Obviously, a well-versed in diplomatic niceties, the director has told us [his audience] things we would like to hear. Of course, he acknowledged a few facts relating to the crimes of TPLF as well as on the current status of Ethio–American relations.
Even though it came several days after the incident, it is good to hear a USAID official reiterating that TPLF is a lawless inhumane rebel group that took away food meant for the hungry civilians. “I do believe that TPLF has been very opportunistic. Several of our warehouses have been looted and completely emptied in the areas, particularly Amhara, where the TPLF soldiers have gone into. Yes! We know that is a fact. In Amhara, we now know, the TPLF in every town they have gone into has looted warehouses, and trucks. They have caused a great deal of destruction in all the villages they have visited.”
The televised portion of the interview was rather scanty. There were missing topics on which the director should have commented on: why western powers cover up the TPLF ‘s responsibility for the problem of the alleged slow movement of humanitarian supplies to Tigray? What would he comment about the several numbers of trucks
that drove into Tigray a month ago carrying humanitarian aid, and never returned? What guarantee do we have that there would never be a diversion of humanitarian supplies, including food, non-food items, and fuel to the TPLF rebels?
It appears that the rare interview given by the USAID-Ethiopia director is the cumulative outcome of the raging pressure of pro-Ethiopian media campaign, both home and abroad, denouncing the incessant and inappropriate meddling of American officials
in the internal affairs of the nation. The Americans were also under media pressure from Ethiopians and friends of Ethiopia, for their lukewarm reaction to the atrocities committed by The TPLF rebels in the Amhara and Afar region.
The public denouncement of TPLF rebels’ savagery by the USAID mission director came after a similar accusation made by a US diplomat at a recent UN meeting. The domino effect has already kicked in. A few days ago, the Chair of the US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Karen Bass, also has issued a statement. “These actions[lootings] by the TPLF will have a direct effect on nearly 5 million Ethiopians who need serious support, and for the first time, USAID is inhibited from doing its job of providing food aid to those who most need it…. The TPLF must allow food supplies to be delivered to the people of Ethiopia,” she stated.
This situation would spur other humanitarian organizations active in Tigray to expose the criminal acts of TPLF to the international community. As the chorus of the presumed independent voices blowing the whistle against TPLF’s inhumanity gathers momentum, the pressure of the western powers currently targeted on the Ethiopian government would possibly wane. In addition, TPLF’s narratives on the whys and the wherefores of the crisis in north Ethiopia would lose their luster.
Even though it has subsided a little bit later in its intensity [partly because of a focus shift to addressing the debacle in Afghanistan], the blatant sympathy for TPLF by the big wigs of the US governed is still there. Following the statement made by the country mission Director of USAID, we expected the USAID Chief, Samantha Power would make at least soft words of rebuke directed against TPLF. Several days passed, but no word came from the USAID chief. She was busy with discussions with the Finish Foreign Minister, known for his pro-TPLF stance and anti-Ethiopian rhetoric. She has also retweeted the recent biased statement of the US government.
Last week, the US State Department did mention the looting of humanitarian assistance in a carefully spin doctored statement without revealing the looter, TPLF. The State Department deliberately covered it up and even did not bother to describe the incident as looting.
“We are concerned about reports of humanitarian assistance being diverted from those whom it is intended.” said the US State Department spokesman. That was how he described the looting done on several humanitarian aid warehouses in Amhara and Afar region by the invading TPLF rebels. This is a cover-up, to say the least.
The American political leaders in the executive branch are still reluctant to acknowledge the fact that the military offensive driven by the TPLF in the regions neighboring Tigray is the major bottleneck to the movement of humanitarian supplies to Tigray. The spokesman deliberately ignored that over 70 aid delivery trucks that carry food into Tigray have never returned. The TPLF may be using them to transport weapons and fighters to the several war fronts it opened against its fellow citizens.
It is also bewildering why the American officials are only obsessed with the humanitarian situation in Tigray, while there are multi-millions IDPs are awaiting emergency aid in Amhara, Afar, and Benishangul-Gumuz regions. Analyzing these questions could lead us to presume the Americans want to create an opportunity for TPLF to get a free corridor. And that would provide access to the logistics TPLF requires to fuel the war, and freely communicate with the hostile powers far and near that are eager to destabilize Ethiopia.
This plot would definitely lure the Americans since it would culminate in a regime change in Ethiopia. The Americans need a government that would protect their interests in the Horn the way the TPLF did during the 27 years it stayed at the helm of the Ethiopian government.
The American top officials’ silence and cover-up on the criminal activities of TPLF rebels against civilians are not less than a tacit agreement encouraging the rebels to carry on their inhumane crimes. Ethiopians and friends of Ethiopia need to continue their campaign for justice to Ethiopia, demanding senior US officials to denounce the TPLF crimes against humanity and take appropriate punitive measures against the rebel group’s and its sympathizers’ interests.
BY SOLOMON WASSIHUN
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SEPTEMBER 7/ 2021
