A painter uses different colors to create an image of anything he has in mind. Just one color cannot form a meaningful picture. So needs a man someone or some people beside him to tackle problems of life with him. As much as band of colors reflect the required image when touched by the skillful hands of the painter, when friends come together there is nothing good they cannot create. Likewise, a word alone is nothing unless it is supported by additional words to become meaning full.
A lone ranger is exposed to attack if he has no companions. Thus, a friend is a person whom one knows and likes well. A friend in need is a friend in deed. A friendly person or a country, expresses kindness and acts in that respect to help the liked person or a country out of trouble. Trying time is a checkup the extent of support an individual is offered by a friend. Things become intolerable when a trusted friend forsakes, when the spectrum of trust fall apart. In principle, countries establish diplomatic relationsto prevent war and violence, and fortify relations between two nations. Therefore, without diplomacy, much of the world’s affairs would be abolished, international organizations would not exist, and above all the world would be at a constant state of war. Such all-saving endeavor should not be neglected or overlooked to pursue the interest of one party that may not be long lasting.
Ethiopia, as a sovereign nation, in her attempt to maintain law and order in Tigray region carried out military operation. The operation did not target Tigryan people at all as many international media try to present it.It was and still is an exclusive attack on the terrorist junta that is bent on dismantling the social fabric of Ethiopia. Obviously, no legitimate country ever allows that to happen to it. Yet, such allegation that Ethiopian Government is carrying out ethnic cleansing is far from the truth., a thorough investigation must be conducted to ascertain that. Therefore, the existence of civic societies to counter act such unbalanced judgment remains indispensable.
For that matter, to address such problem, Ethiopian American Civic Council (EACC) operates as a non-profit organization. The Organization strives to advance the human rights, political, educational, as well as social and economic interests of Ethio-Americans and Ethiopians. The urgency of the situation in Tigray is so much so that the Ethiopian American Civic Council has called for an independent review and forensic validation of a CNN piece alleging Ethiopian government officials committed acts of ethnic cleansing against Tigrayans.Since many of the foreign media have a clandestine mission, despite the stark truth on the ground.They turn blind eye to whatever happens in support of the terrorist junta.
Akin to this, the EACC has sent an official letter to CNN’s The Lead – where the segment aired – asking CNN to solicit forensic sources that can be publicly attributed. Its report makes serious claims without reliable and complete substantiation. “In its absence, it is merely conjecture,” said EACC President Yoseph Tafari. He further added, “Forensic experts in Sudan are cited but not named; there are many competent forensic professionals worldwide who could travel to Sudan and validate these claims.” How is it possible to take for granted any report that comes out of Sudan when Ethiopia is at loggerheads with it? What is the secret behind hiding the names of those forensic experts from international audience? What is being covered up in an attempt to satisfy the egoistic interest of the terrorist group?
CNN’s (Cable News Network) mission statement is “to inform, engage and empower the world.” The statement emphasizes on the ways that it finds convenient to achieve its core purpose of empowering the people through information.Furthermore, CNN brags that its mission statement is “to deliver the world’s best creative solutions by sourcing the stories that really matter. Under no circumstance can a media deliver best creative solutions once it takes side. This conclusion proven by CNN’s report on Tigryan ethnic cleansing by Ethiopian of government.
Yet, the reality is such that the network acts contrary to its mission. How can it empower the people through its disinformation. What kind of empowerment is it? Is it to create dispute and destabilization as a result? Sawing the seed of enmity is not worth calling a mission.Sometimes the validity of the information that is released by CNN is floppy or tilts from the line of reliability to unreliability. Considering the news about the war in Tigray, particularly the alleged ethnic cleansing, CNN clearly showed where it stands –it is utterly one sided and in mere violation of the standard principles of news writing. Objectivity in this respect is strongly lacking and instead subjectivity is in full swing exposing the underlying desire of thisTV channel.
Parallel to this and perhaps to the dismay of the media like the CNN, among many US diplomats,Tibor Nagy, former Assistant Secretary of State for Africa US Ambassador to Guinea and Ethiopia, and Provost for International Affairs is earnestly calling for Biden administration to support Ethiopia. They are heard saying, Ethiopians are good people that the US government and President Biden should be supporting PM Abiy and Ethiopia in their time of need. Some of these diplomats Tibor Nagy in reply to Freeman,recallsEthio –US good relationship. The Ambassador said, “Forever grateful to Ethiopia and Ethiopians for incredible support to America and our Embassy on and after the dark days of Sep 11, 2001 – when I was Ambassador. “ From the highest,” continues the Ambassador, “government officials to ordinary people, the outpouring of kindness was beyond words. God bless you.”
Others should take a lesson from what the diplomat says about the memorable Ethio-American diplomatic relationship. Ethiopia and her people treasure such honest witness. Forgetting the good deeds of a friend is being sub human incapable of being grateful to a friend. Anybody with sane mind always feels or shows thanks to the person with good intention and good deeds. This is the best means to encourage the individual to do good at any time and in any trying situation. Nothing ever remains static. A country in difficult circumstance may change tomorrow to the shame and embarrassment of the ungrateful.
For many years, apart from diplomatic relationship, Ethiopians have had special or good attitude towards American people. The greater majority of Americans, the writer believes, are not in line with the attitude of Biden’s administration for they are aware of the reality of what is happening in Tigray and the bordering regions of Amhara and Afar.It is rather offensive and disheartening to Ethiopia when reality is deliberately denied by some international community especially western media as well as the CNN which is based in America.As a matter of fact, the very purpose of the unilateral cease fire agreement initiated by the Federal Government of Ethiopia is a repose and to avoid the unnecessary loss of lives.
Yet, the unruly terrorist junta took advantage of the situation to implement its expansionist policy. The death rate increased after the agreement first inside Tigray and later in Amhara and Afar regions in the absence of the national defense force.The “all seeing eye” of the international media deliberately failed to see who is committing the heinous crimes but yet keeps projecting it to Ethiopia making her a scapegoat for every crime the terrorist junta has committed. However,proper punishment will be meted out proportionally to the perpetrators when justice triumphs,in due course.Such occurrence can be halted somehow somewhere at a point in time. Yet, it is obvious that no force on the face of the earth can alter this natural law. A onetime bullying power can be bullied someday as it is the order of the day. There is a piece of poem that reads as follows:
Make new friends and keep the old,
The new is silver, and the old is gold.
It is not sin to make a new friend but forgetting the old is a crime.
Just for curiosity sake one can ask what the punishment for fake news is. With respect to this,Sulaiman A. Osho has submitted the result his study of a related issue in June 17th 2020. He vigorously points out that that the deliberate publication of fake news by any media organization or online network is an aberration in journalism practice. And such sophist intentions and dissemination of falsehood to the people through the virtual media, social media and old media is a depravity against humanity to spread mischief, acrimony, crises, disease, corruption, and squalor. It is total negation of journalism values and news values.
If that is the case, the writer leaves the answer to the readers. A friend should present himself in times of crisis. He should not turn his back on his friend. A harmonious action is the best move in life. Spectral colors create complete image.
BY JOSEPH SOBOKA
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD OCTOBER 12/2021
