BY KFLEEYESUS ABEBE
International blocs such as the United Nations are meant to make the world a better place to live, where there is a law that safeguards children, women and the elderly. This however does not seem to be happening in Ethiopia as the world chooses silence in the face of the terrorist Tigray Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF) committing atrocities. Indiscriminate killing of villagers, destruction of properties even schools and recruitment of child soldiers are against international law but again left condemn.
The Ethiopian government made several attempts in exposing the shocking crimes of the terrorist TPLF that reached recruitment of child soldiers. Now, independent professionals have joined in exposing this act of TPLF and urged the international community to give it a focus it deserves and act accordingly. Among this, a view Doreen Nicoll recently published brought further evidences that TPLF recruited child soldiers and expose fictitious reporting of western media. She said TPLF is strangely going free of blame for now. The writer asks the international community’s allegiance to international law by taking action.
The writer began the article by narrating the historical rise of the terrorist TPLF group to power which has a regimented military structure that includes the use of children. The group in its communiqué made it clear that it would use this trend. And photos and other evidences made it common knowledge that children (under 18s) are routinely into the Tigray People’s Liberation Front in Ethiopia.
Collaborators in the diaspora and inside Tigray have been posting pictures and videos of children carrying out wartime activities. There are also reports from government soldiers fighting the TPLF and from child soldiers themselves that children being used as fodder by the TPLF. The fact that the use of children in conflict is a war crime contravenes the UN Convention on the Rights of Children.
Furthermore, the ENDF soldiers have reported that the terrorist group is in fact using armed child soldiers as their first line of defense. The children are sent to engage with the ENDF while TPLF forces bring up the rear.
Ann Fitz-Gerald, Director of Balsillie School of International Affairs notes there is ample photographic and video evidence of this. She said: “The use of children to support any element of armed conflict constitutes war crimes that the international community is observing this evidence and remaining silent questions the whole value of conventions and protocols the world has adopted to address such crimes.”
As for the writer, like the evidence of the TPLF’s use of child soldiers in Tigray, there is now ample evidence that the TPLF used these children to invade the Afar and Amhara regions and that hundreds of children were killed. Those rescued by the ENDF verified recruitment by the TPLF. Recruitment has been made easier for the TPLF since they support the infrastructure that includes the distribution of food aid.
According to Fitz-Gerald the silence of the international community exposes a sense of selective humanity within the realm of international law. The question is why are Ethiopian children different and not as deserving?
Menelik Girma, a member of the Ethiopian diaspora believes the unilateral ceasefire put in place by the Ethiopian government could be what is needed to make the world face the truth about the TPLF. Girma would like to see the West pressure the TPLF into ending the illegal use of child soldiers and to be held accountable for their actions just like the international community did in Sierra Leone, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. But he expressed disappointment as western countries such as the US prioritized this national interest over humanity. He said, “This double standard undoubtedly has national interest for the US.
Equal to governments, Non-governmental organizations (NGO)’s have been blamed for bias and lack of accountability during the war. They have been selective in exposing and condemnation of incidents. Amnesty international selective humanity and total silence in the face of child soldier recruitment shocked the analysts.
Italian Print and broadcast journalist, Francessa Ronchin also wrote various articles in Ethiopia that uncover the conspiracy of Non-Governmental Organizations against the Ethiopia government. In one of her articles entitled “Ethiopia the war of NGOs, between silence and propaganda” she showed the unhelpful role of NGOs. NGOs at one time become laud in alleging the Ethiopian government and on the other side kept silent while TPLF commit pinnacle of the atrocities and recruit child soldiers. These are clear double-standards that one cannot assume to observe from such international organizations.
Speaking to Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation, Francessa said there is an effort of delegitimizing the incumbent by spreading false allegations against the Ethiopian army. “Many are accusing the national defense force in the recent lootings. I see this as a continued attempt to delegitimize the Ethiopian administration. I said I think nobody could ever say that the national army doesn’t make mistakes but in this case, the testimonies about the responsibilities are the TPLF are overwhelming. Even the USAID mission director talked about the lootings committed by the TPLF.”
Francessa expressed her regret on the NGO’s failure to pay attention to the crimes of TPLF. They are rather showing double standard in a time they could play a constructive role that minimize suffering of people and thereby stop the war. None of them have chosen to be a voice of children trapped in the war and exploited as child soldiers, Francessa said. “Children are fighting along the TPLF but these child soldiers didn’t capture their attention. No one from the NGO’s are tweeting or posting which should be dedicated for such issue. This is very sad. NGOs should do such important jobs in protecting children but they are using double-standard. This will weaken the trust people have to these organizations.”
Francessa also said majority of Ethiopians are missing in most part of media while they are always ready to hear from experts and organizations overseas. She stressed that very little is told about what people think and feel being almost silenced.
Historian Jeff Pulson at the spot documentaries also unmasks the hypocrisy of western media and non-governmental organizations. Jeff presents Western media and the organizations relentless hypocrisy by just reporting about people whose suffering is not still ‘enough’ for western media reports. His works left questions why Western media and global activitists chose silence instead of reporting the suffering of displaced people in the Amhara and Afar regions. Jeff went to Dessie in person and showed the suffering of displaced people in the Amhara region and asked whether these people do not deserve support and international community’s voice.
As for the professionals, there is still a time for the world to witness and act accordingly. If the intrantional community and organizations still champion humanity and enforce interantional law, the perperator of atrocities in the country should be held accountable. It would be a test of time for the international community whether it would live up to their words.
The Ethiopian Herald September 18/2021
