History books are full of stories of bravery and prowess of Ethiopians when they have been invaded or attacked by any force. Lots of stories of bravery have been written about the various heroic acts carried out by Ethiopian patriots along centuries. Unfortunately, Ethiopia has always been in the attention of invaders and expansionists due to its position at the cross roads of Europe and Asia. Ethiopia is also the source of the Nile and for that alone it has been under the close scrutiny of neighbouring downstream countries. These have never considered Ethiopia as a friendly country and rather have always tried if not colonize it to dominate or influence its internal politics so that it does not plan ambitious projects that they view as threatening the monopoly of the use of the river.
Ignoring that Ethiopia is the true owner and source of the Nile and that it has every right like any other in similar circumstances to exploit its waters without damaging the downstream countries, European powers conspired to prevent it from doing that. The infamous Tripartite Treaty of the nineteen twenties sealed between England, the colonial master, and Egypt and Sudan was done by openly ignoring completely the legitimate right of Ethiopia. This has passed to history books as one of the most scandalous injustices imposed against Ethiopia!
Later on when the Fascist Italian forces assaulted Ethiopia including with the use of prohibited chemical weapons, the League of Nations (the precursor to the UN) turned a blind eye to it and did nothing to neither stop it nor condemn it. Another major injustice was inflicted against Ethiopia. And yet Ethiopia was one of the founding members of the League of Nations and it had relied on its powers. It was the most tragic application of ‘might is right’: the law of the jungle!
Ethiopians however did not succumb passively to such occupation and after five years of stiff and hard fought resistance the patriots managed to liberate their land and to restore their legitimate government. Ethiopia had before that foiled several attempts by invaders to colonize the country. They were all foiled by its patriots who do not accept nor surrender to invaders. Although the victory at Adwa in 1896 is the major historical milestone many recall or talk about in the world, it was not the only victory that Ethiopians registered against aggressors. There were many others recorded against invaders that came from the west and the north of the country, surely with the objective of conquering the sources of the Nile. They all failed because Ethiopians do not compromise with enemies on their sovereignty and dignity. They realize sacrifices may be tremendous but this has always been part of Ethiopian psyche and DNA. It is the ID card of Ethiopians. No wonder it has been considered a symbol of African freedom!
Today, history seems to repeat itself when western powers have begun another round of gratuitous assaults, not necessarily using crude force, but in multiple subtle ways against Ethiopia trying to if not ‘colonize’ it indirectly, but control it or its affairs by using disgruntled internal forces as Trojan Horses. Ethiopians know that there have always been ‘collaborators’ with the enemy in order to benefit from the favours of those who may be taking charge of the country’s government. This did happen during the battles we conducted against Italians before Adwa, and even later when Fascists invaded and occupied the country in the nineteen thirties. There had been a few collaborators who provided vital information to the invaders in exchange for lavish recompense or even illegal titles such as ‘governor’ or ‘mayor’ etc. But in the end, the unity of Ethiopians was crucial to overturn such treasons tides.
Today we see that TPLF forces are being manipulated by these alien forces in order to dismantle Ethiopia. These vicious forces have apparently ganged up against Ethiopia, but Ethiopians have once again gathered together, united in one front, and with the support of all Ethiopians wherever they may be, and other friends of Ethiopia, are foiling the invasion carried out against their land. The massive western propaganda that Ethiopia is doomed and cannot resist the onslaught of TPLF and its allies has been debunked and discredited.
History has repeated itself because once again international bodies such as the UN and major western governments such as the US, UK, Ireland and others have ganged up scandalously against Ethiopia with the pretext of ‘campaigning for peace’ or ‘delivering humanitarian aid’ or pressing for negotiated settlement between the parties in conflict. But they do know that the Ethiopian government, like any other legitimately elected government, cannot sit down to talk with merciless terrorists after all that they have done not only to the Northern Command but also in the regions of Amhara and Afar!
The government of Ethiopia has caught these so called neutral international bodies ‘red handed’ while they were supporting the terrorist TPLF and its allies. At the same time they attacked the Ethiopian government in the diplomatic and economic spheres convening continuous meetings to put pressure on it! The US has been threatening Ethiopia with sanctions and it has already cancelled Ethiopia from the list of beneficiaries of AGOA, the African Growth and Opportunity Act. Besides, these countries have mounted an extensive and persistent campaign of ‘fake news’ using their mainstream media, disseminating and echoing widely the propaganda of the terrorist TPLF. Even their social media outlets were in the same wavelengths with the propaganda and lies of TPLF!
Only a few weeks ago these media outlets and their missions have reported that the Abiy government was about to fall with the occupation of Addis Ababa by the advancing terrorist TPLF forces. In fact, they were ordering all expatriates to leave Ethiopia because they said it was not safe to stay and work there. It was clearly what experts called ‘hybrid war’ against Ethiopia! All these attacks were orchestrated and carried out in an organized manner to repeat what TPLF did thirty years ago when TPLF first managed to oust the military government then ruling in Ethiopia.
Today, with the benefit of hindsight, we know that it was not TPLF which defeated the Ethiopian National Defense Forces as the ‘victors’ bragged, but a coordinated campaign mounted by the western powers (just like today) behind TPLF against what they had considered as the bastion of communist movement and restore safely the capitalist system faithful to the long term strategic interests of the west. Since then Ethiopians were made to bear all sorts of injustices by the West-sponsored TPLF puppet government, strengthened diplomatically, economically and militarily. They knew it was a minority government. They knew all along that it was not a popular government and would fall when the people decided to do away with it. It was in fact the support of these forces that kept TPLF in power for so long!
However, in 2018 the long battle of opposition against the dictatorial rule of TPLF was crowned with success thanks to the courageous youths of Ethiopia. Then a new independent government led by Dr. Abiy Ahmed was sworn in. This apparently did not suit the interests of the West and others that were overseeing developments in the Nile Basin. The completion of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam project on the Blue Nile is not palatable to these forces because unlike what TPLF intended to do, it was not only a propaganda scheme meant to milk Ethiopians while the rank and files of TPLF cadres got ever more wealthy!
This government was resolute to complete the project in time and despite the opposition of the US and others who openly sided with downstream countries, Ethiopians had to use their legitimate rights on their own resource! Our enemies and adversaries do not evidently want to see a developed and self-reliant Ethiopia! Hydropower to Ethiopian means a huge boost to its industrial needs. Ethiopia’s influence on other African countries is evident and this does not go with the long term interests of certain countries.
Today with the aggression of the terrorist TPLF against Ethiopia, the conspiracy of the west against a legitimately elected government has once again shown the entire world that another round of injustice is being inflicted against not only Ethiopia, but through it, against all of Africa, and in practice against the entire Black race. Many observers have noted that the current war in Ethiopia, the deliberate and well planned destruction of the regions of Amhara and Afar are all supported and encouraged by enemies of Ethiopia who are still conspiring to dismantle it to suit their plans. No western government nor international organisation expressed any sort of disapproval against the atrocities and destructive actions the terrorist TPLF carried out against Ethiopia’s two regions! Ethiopians and all friends of Ethiopia have however been shouting #NoMore because it is now crystal clear where the conspiracy has been heading. Almost after a century, history is repeating itself. Ethiopia has once again been betrayed and stabbed in the back! The United Nations now looks very much another version of the defunct League of Nations!
The courageous Ethiopian patriots have once again proved themselves stronger and more resolute than the vicious invaders. Ethiopians are once again united in one front to annihilate the well armed and organized enemy forces supported by Western imperialism, spearheaded by UN bodies as well. Repeated attempts have been made to interfere openly in the internal affairs of Ethiopia through various pretexts, but thanks to certain reliable allies and friends of Ethiopia, they have repeatedly failed. Ethiopians say we will never kneel down to any form of western imperialism. Africa will never again kneel down to western colonial projects!! 2021 is not 1870!! Injustice against Ethiopia is injustice against all black people!
BY FITSUM GETACHEW
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD TUESDAY 28 DECEMBER 2021
