BY ADDISALEM MULAT
Recent developments have shown the world that the terrorist TPLF group has been bewildering the international community with cooked-up stories working in collaboration with some humanitarian agencies and some western media and nations.
Some international media outlets and humanitarian agencies with their evil plans have been sticking the blame on the federal government for every predicament surfacing in Tigray State. More often than not, some of the agencies instead of providing their share to the expected level they have been persistently adding fuel to the fire giving the cold shoulder to the unvarnished truth.
Notwithstanding the fact that since the law enforcement operation, the Ethiopian government has been working hand-in-glove with humanitarian agencies including the UN, some international media outlets have been getting themselves engaged in blackening the country taking sides with terrorist TPLF group and westerners, and meddling in the internal affairs of the country.
Apart from hoodwinking the international community with fabricated stories, some agencies have been serving as a Trojan horse of the superpowers agenda. However, Ethiopia did not sit binding its hand and feet. It has been familiarizing the international community with the honest truth going on across the country in addition to inviting independent human investigators to investigate and understand the situation on the ground.
By the same token, the government of Ethiopia has been over and over again expressing readiness to take all corrective measures for any humanitarian violations that might have been committed by its forces. It is to be recalled that the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) and the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) have been jointly investigating victims of the war beginning from May 2021.
According to the report the terrorist TPLF group is in charge of triggering the conflict by attacking the Ethiopian army base on November 3rd. The report presents the genesis of the conflict as this: “On 3 November 2020, the Tigray Special Forces (TSF) and allied militia attacked the Northern Command of the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) and took control of the bases and the weaponry. On 4 November 2020, the federal government announced a military operation against the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and its forces.”
Second, the report falsified claims and allegations of genocidal killings and the use of starvation and sexual violence as a weapon of war by Ethiopian forces during the conflict. The report “could not confirm deliberate or willful denial of humanitarian assistance to the civilian population in Tigray or the use of starvation as a weapon of war.” Though it is now found to be false, the international media’s fictitious reporting of Ethiopia using starvation and sexual violence has already hurt Ethiopia’s name and has to appear situation at the United Nations Security Council several times.
Following the announcement of the report, Ethiopia received the report positively but also stated some of its serious reservations concerning some aspects of the report. Among the shortcomings of the report were limitations in scope both in time and geographic location. The report hasn’t exposed the horrific brutality that the terrorist group has committed against civilians in Afar and Amhara regional states. It does not address the campaign of the massacre the TPLF’s proxies and allies have committed in places like western Oromia.
However, in a statement, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said the report exposed baseless lies and accusations that were circulating since the outset of the war. The statement expressed its regret to the international community to be misled by these fabricated lies. “We have always known these allegations were false but our enemies have worked tirelessly to mislead the international community.” Prime Minister Abiy wished the report would open the eyes of friends of Ethiopia that have changed their policies influenced by “a well-organized and orchestrated disinformation campaign” of international media outlets. “We hope the report will cause these nations to reconsider and review policies enacted based on false information.”
The statement indicated that the findings of the joint investigation team have clearly established “the claim of genocide as false and utterly lacking any factual basis. The report also concluded the often-repeated allegation that the Government used hunger as a ‘weapon of war is without merit.”
The premier in the statement expressed his governments’ readiness to take corrective measures as well as provide compensation for victims. “We recognize and accept the report as an important document that complements our ongoing effort to provide redress to victims, ensure accountability, and take preventive measures.
The report has confirmed that “genocide”, “hunger as a weapon of war”, “sexual violence as a weapon of war”, “humanitarian assistance blockade” are sensational stories all politically motivated propagandas of the terrorist group, its affiliates, and western media that have shown its ill interest since the outset of the conflict. They may have sectionalized it, build up facts but in the end, they are fabricated stories.
According to Al Ain Amharic, sixteen nations such as the United States of America, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom said that they would accept the results of the joint investigation report. In a similar manner, various nations acknowledged the effort of the Ethiopian government efforts to assist the victims of the skirmish.
The Joint Investigation Team report (JIT) of the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) and the United Nations Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has a pivotal role to ensure accountability and addressing political crises, according to EHRC Chief.
Having stayed with international media, Commissioner Daniel Bekele (Ph.D.) stated that such an investigation would have paramount importance to reveal the truth, ensure accountability and resolve the ongoing conflict peacefully.
Apart from seeking the truth, the purpose of such investigation is to stretch accountability so that those responsible for the act of violence on both sides of the conflict can be held accountable. “I believe there is sufficient information and bases to conduct a further criminal investigation to hold perpetrators to account.”
The commissioner further highlighted that redress and rehabilitation of victims is another important aim of the investigation. In this regard, a lot of people have lost their loved ones and their livelihoods are immensely affected by the conflict whilst a lot of civilians have been displaced and their properties are being looted.
“It is very crucial to get these people to normalcy and seek a sustainable solution for the political crisis.”
Noting the difficulty to conduct a joint investigation with foreign entities due to standard, logistical, security, and operational limitations, Daniel said that the polarized and political environment of the country is also worsening the strain. However, the JIT is guided by meticulous approaches and equipped with competent professionals from both institutions.
The study is conducted in accordance with internationally acclaimed standards and the inquiry is made under the UN principles of independence, integrity, and partiality thereby ensuring the viability of its findings, he remarked.
It is no secret that some western media outlets have been broadcasting and publicizing cooked-up stories on the subject of Ethiopia working in close collaboration with the terrorist TPLF group and its accomplices. Reasoning from this fact, the so-called media outlets have been mystifying the international community with fabricated stories and partaking in a smear campaign against Ethiopia.
With regret, some organizations that are supposed to give significant information and reasonable reports are tracking to become the foundation of propaganda and misinformation. Reasoning from this fact, Ethiopia has become a victim of misinformation and disinformation on the grounds that some international media outlets have been mystifying the international community. Now that the report answers some of the key questions, the international community should adopt rather a moderate balanced foreign policy towards Ethiopia.
The Ethiopian Herald November 10/2021
