A line that demarcates the territory of anything is a limit that stops any power from claiming any space beyond it, becomes a trespass. Trespass in actual sense is going on to privately owned land without right or permission. The act of violating this right by force is faced with violent resistance by the owner. There various kinds of trespassing in various circumstances: trespassing upon somebody’s time, hospitality, privacy and so forth.
Think of the situation when you are busy, someone engages you something that is not important. Some people are aware of the difficulty you are in; they do not take the wasting your time into consideration. Even if hint to them that have a more important thing to, they either ignore it or they may not understand it. In this hectic time of the world, trespassing time becomes the most offensive human relationship.
Encroaching upon the privacy is the cruelest crime done to an individual or even a country; first of all encroaching is going beyond what is right or natural. Such act is done without the knowledge of the victim. Unaware of the clandestine vicious activities, the targeted individuals or countries suffer the consequences. In every circumstance these targets are subjected to the bad situation which they do not deserve at all; it emanates from the desire of flexing on the weak and subduing to unquestionably do what they want.
They believe that a country under such political and economic pressure will succumb to their subjugating desire – forfeiting their sovereign right as it is being attempted by some western countries and the United States concerning Ethiopia. Under normal circumstance Ethiopia is international law abiding country, the fact proven for about two centuries. She has been attacked by several at sundry times and yet devastatingly defeated them and sent them back to where they came from.
There is no historical document when Ethiopia was under any foreign power except the five years Italian occupation. Obviously there were internal political skirmishes and strife among the kings and the nobilities. In this manner the unity and the sovereignty of the country has been maintained for as long the country existed. Hereafter, too, the country, under any circumstance will not opt for yielding to any foreign aggression.
Some economically influential nations around the globe, with the exception of peace-loving countries, doing all they can to subdue Ethiopia and force her to yield to their irrational desire of coming to negotiation with the group which has been labeled terrorist by the Federal Government of Ethiopia. There is no chance that this government sits around the table with the group. If such situation were in western countries or the United States, is it tantamount to a threat to their national security; it is unthinkable and absolutely be rejected. Why in Ethiopia?
The lame excuse they give centers around the delivery of humanitarian assistance and pointing a blaming finger at/to Ethiopia for all the problems that have occurred pertaining to it. They argue that Ethiopia is plunging into chaos. Millions are starving; atrocities should abound. Thus they suggest that is time for a new Dayton Peace Process and there still time to turn things around.
Coming to the Dayton Peace Process it is superficially designed to promote peace and stability and to endorse regional balance. But the question here is, in whose interest is it? Who benefits the most from it? Is it the interest of the country at war or the initiators of the treaty? Is it designed to support only the law-defying perpetrators?
The situation of the war is not something that has taken place between two countries. It is between the rebels and the government legally mandated to take any action to ensure the sovereignty of the country. It should be known that had the meddlers not unnecessarily been involved, the law and order could have long been maintained very easily.
The meddlers, shoving the objective reality under the rug, have created a new and strange scenario about the war in north Ethiopia to win the cooperation the world to their side. Some members of the international community, in support of the super powers behind the problem or for other reasons not yet clearly disclosed, have taken a strong position against Ethiopia. This situation is quite puzzling; it seems they are intent on neo colonize Ethiopia for the simple reason that the country is striving to pull herself out of the mire of poverty and to ascertain prosperity for her citizens.
The truth is that the meddlers full knowledge of this fact; if that is the case, one sub Saharan is wringing out of their strong grips. To thwart such national development strategy, the international communities vociferously make their unfounded rhetoric. When the terrorist junta causes devastation to infrastructure and innocent civilians, they do not utter a word. Yet when the government takes action to stop the crime, they strongly condemn it – their routine rhetoric. The death of thousands literally means nothing to them. In fact, it appears as if they are behind everything that takes place.
They keep telling their allies that Ethiopia stands on the brink of escalating civil war and state failure. While nothing is mentioned about the criminal acts of the TPLF’s junta, they boldly say, “Right now, Last week, fighting intensified dramatically, with Ethiopian forces striking hard against rebels from the Tigray province. Millions are starving — and time to avert a descent into chaos is running out.”
They plead with the international community to prepare for concerted action to prevent further drift and to focus diplomacy on a comprehensive settlement for this nation of more than 110 million. This is nothing less than waging war on a sovereign nation for nothing she has done to deserve this. It should be noted that Ethiopia is not engaged in the type of war the meddlers try to influence some nations of the world. This is rhetoric in its ugliest style; some can easily be carried away by it while others critically check it and discard it as it not worth accepting. A one-sided judgment can never be of any value to people in their mind. Summoning the criminal groups cannot bring back Ethiopia from the brink; it is rather pushing it over the cliff, their desired goal.
The irony of the whole issue is the unfair handling of the war zone situation. The latest incidence in Mekele bears witness to this effect. The news of the death of two people during the operation by defense force was given coverage blown out of proportion by some international media. On the contrary, when the junta killed thirty-one innocent civilians in Wollo, yet the same media did not even make a passing remark of it at all. Ironically, these media are often heard of fighting for human rights, but if that the way they fight for human rights, it should thoroughly be checked and be stood up to. The whole picture depicts that the insidious under cover agenda these groups have for developing countries like Ethiopia. Could it be a system to keep the third world countries ever remain in poverty?
Such are the circumstances that brought forward some heroes like Maureen Achieng who stood against such injustices done to the poor countries of the world. She in fact said, “I am losing my job for speaking the truth.” The bitter truth did not deter her from taking a historic step at the expense her livelihood.
The United Nations is equally charged with its response to the situation in north Ethiopia. It did not condemn the atrocities the junta is doing to the people of Tgray, Amhara and Afar. While they clearly know everything in the war zone, WFP, FAO suggest making a coordinated effort to find the root cause of humanitarian assistance in Ethiopia. It all amounts to nothing but empty rhetoric.
BY JOSEPH SOBOKA
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD THURSDAY 6 JANUARY 2022
