BY FITSUM GETACHEW
The fight against the terrorist TPLF is reaching its climax as this force is coming down further and further from its native base, getting emboldened by its own propaganda and some tactical maneuvers of the Ethiopian forces. The method it uses, military experts say, is one that was used by far east countries centuries ago: human waves regardless the cost of precious human lives!
TPLF has been using all its human resources by forcing people who are not even capable of walking properly such as people with disabilities to make up impressive numbers. It is sad that this could take place in the twenty first century when human rights activists make a big story and a condemnation for even one human life lost unnecessarily. Evidently, those who line up for the TPLF junta must have been indoctrinated for decades with false narratives and propaganda that they have to sacrifice whatever it takes for their freedom and for the fancied formation of a Tigray Republic! Observers say this may have stimulated them to pay every conceivable sacrifice.
Under normal circumstances people who value life cannot conceive or accept such an idea, anywhere in the world. This is an imposed idea we find reigning under dictatorships which have no regard to people’s wellbeing. We have observed that TPLF has done nothing to its supporters or people whom it boasts of being its constituency. The evidence is there in front of our eyes showing that nearly two million people were beneficiaries of safety net when hostilities broke out a year ago. The core leadership and its pals or families have however been navigating in gold in foreign beaches. The poor people get sacrificed for these individuals to remain in power and places of authority. We have never heard of a son of one of the leaders of the junta lining up in the fronts. Instead we have seen them conduct lavish lives in Europe and the States from where TPLF gets a lot of financial, moral and technical support, including in the corridors of power where some politicians are engaged to lobby for TPLF.
During the past months when the Ethiopian national defense forces declared a unilateral cessation of hostilities following the pressure of the international community and allowing for the people of the regional state to ponder on what moves to adopt in view of the pause of attacks and battles, the TPLF leadership instead took that for surrender and refused to refrain from hostilities. The hope for peace vanished. Unfortunately the international community did little to coerce, at least morally, the TPLF forces to stop attacks against civilians given the Ethiopian military had ceased its campaign.
This allowed for TPLF forces to advance almost freely to the neighbouring regions of Amhara and Afar. Accusing the inhabitants of these regions as hostile to them, they destroyed whatever they found on their way. They looted whatever they could carry away (such as provisions and technological gadgets as well as money) committing all sorts of disgraceful crimes. They carried out burglary, executions and rapes! Police investigation has found out the extent of destruction in the liberated areas and presented the report.
They exterminated families; they burnt and demolished sacred places such as churches and mosques to hurt the spiritual feelings of the people. They looted health centres and schools and destroyed them. They took away all ready agricultural products and burnt down the rest. The intention is to starve innocent farmers in the near future.
Never in the history of Ethiopia has similar stories been heard even during the various alien invasions enemies carried out against it. This was planned and executed systematically. It is revenge to the loss of power and the narrative they disseminate that their Amharic neighbors are their archenemies!
It appeared that they have been waiting and preparing for such an occasion for years! It is clear that such proposition is a product of an insane mind because there have been countless mixed marriages between the Tigrayans and the Amhara and they have always lived in harmony. In many instances it is impossible to tell who is who because of so much mingling.
For a kind of organisation such as the TPLF it must create a visceral enemy of the people to make an appeal to their emotions and convince them that they need to line up behind them. History has shown that there is no way the two peoples could be enemies. Political problems may have existed. Rivalry is natural. But they have had little regard to issues of ethnic origin. Hatred and attempt to kill the people of this or that ethnic origin has however never been part of the history of Ethiopia. It is the narrative of TPLF that has tried to instigate ethnicity in politics. There is ample evidence to support this assertion.
As the attacks on innocent people got protracted to unacceptable levels the Ethiopian defense and security forces began to counter the waves of people supported by heavy fire power in several fronts. The battles against Ethiopia continued on multiple fronts and Ethiopians began to counter them. When after some time the TPLF junta realized that it could not cope with the resistance in the western front along the Sudan border, it gathered all the forces and weaponry it could avail on the eastern front, advancing to Afar. Then when there was the counter reaction of the Afar, it began to retreat submitting heavy losses.
These days reports have been coming out that the terrorist force has began rallying all its residual forces on the Wollo front and aided by its insider traitors and collaborators locally and some infiltrating TPLF agents camouflaged as if they were natives, and some foreign mercenaries, they managed to attack and terrorize communities. Above all their propaganda war has been destructive. The government has now adopted a new strategy to systematically discredit it and furnish the population with the truth. Misinformation could determine the fate of a battle, the premier said the other day consulting with his ministers, and urged them to be vigilant against misinformation.
The local youths and the defense forces have been countering the terrorist force’s assaults and despite the massive losses of life TPLF has persisted in their heinous atrocities. In Kombolcha reports of cold blood executions of a hundred youths have transpired filling people with rage. That is why the call has been made by the federal government and all regional states to join this massive and crucial final battle to neutralize totally this terrorist force.
Now the situation has reached critical stages because Ethiopians need to know that before TPLF reaches its exhaustion point and gets driven to their graves they could do so much harm to the country: killing innocent civilians, their cattle and destroying property. Looting and killing indiscriminately, a result of desperate enterprise. They know they can never rule Ethiopians again. They know no one Ethiopian would trust them to be their leaders again.
They have persistently tried and succeeded to a certain extent with their false propaganda by creating division among the various ethnic communities in Ethiopia. They believe creating division and suspicion among citizens could help them re-conquer power. But Ethiopians now know there can never be justice in the country and only a few families would keep the monopoly of resources of the country.
The premier has said the TPLF has always been the Trojan Horse of enemies of Ethiopia who do not want it to be a strong nation in the Horn of Africa, a country with a big say and role. The idea of developing the Nile Basin and completing the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam which could be a game changer in the politics of the Horn is particularly unpalatable to enemies of Ethiopia. Ethiopia would have all the power it needs to expand its industrial and agricultural potential, and first and foremost it would feed its people adequately, and then engage in export of products. The economy of the country would be transformed.
TPLF has always received ample support and base in countries which are traditionally either rivals of Ethiopia or outright sworn enemies.
Today Ethiopians have the occasion to cease this TPLF wholesale attack as a ‘golden opportunity’ to show to the world that it is a compact and united country acting and speaking as one not only to beat once and for all TPLF renegades, but also bury it deep in the ground so that it never revives.
What Ethiopians now need, particularly the youth, is to strongly support the endeavours of the defense and security forces by not only joining the front, but also act as supporting forces, provide logistics and provisions. Those who have expertise in any field related to security matters they are invited to avail them to the central command, and those with medical expertise avail their first aid to the injured. They can also watch vigilantly the movements of insiders leading the enemy or availing secrets to the enemy and tip them to the Ethiopian security.
Hence there are all round activities youths and the population in general can avail to this campaign of stifling the advances and hostilities of TPLF and its allies. The insider wings of TPLF are here living among us and what they did in other localities must teach us not to repeat the same mistakes. There should be watchful eyes monitoring all suspects who are ready to jump on the TPLF wagon to destroy the efforts of Ethiopia’s campaign. These people provide crucial information and lead the enemy to follow safe passages and sneak into the core of the defense forces.
At the same time they are busy dissemination false information among civilians so that they run away in terror. That prepares easy access to the terrorists. This has been observed repeatedly in all the places where TPLF has easily succeeded in occupying towns. Hence the government having now realized that the contribution of each and every citizen is crucial to help repulse the attacks of TPLF forces, it has urged them to not only join the army but also support it in every way needed.
The nature of the battle is such that numbers matter. Thousands of TPLF forces are covered by the human shield of poor people forced into the battle or face execution! Up to now there is no doubt that the sacrifice has been enormous and for a long time the Ethiopian national defense forces were hesitant to shoot on these poor souls ‘sacrificial lambs’ of TPLF. In the final analysis it is clear that they have been forced as cannon fodder.
TPLF has shown how ruthless they are even for their own constituency forcing people to die unnecessarily for their ambitions of power. They never respect even elementary humanitarian rules. It is paradoxical that no human rights activist has even mentioned it, let alone condemn it!
Instead when the Ethiopian defense forces take measures against military establishments, the international community shouts accusing Ethiopia of genocide! The double standard here is clear to anyone who follows closely the battle in northern Ethiopia. TPLF cares little even to deliver humanitarian assistance to citizens who are living in the regional state because all of their focus is to destabilize Ethiopia and possibly destroy it! The slogan now is “Akababihin tebik, (Guard your neighbourhood!), wede ginbar zimet, (Join the front!) mekelakeyan degif, (Support the defense force!)
The Ethiopian Herald November 4/2021
