Ephrem Endale Contributer
Take this from me; there is a very drastic change in peoples’ attitudes the war in northern Ethiopia brought about; Ethiopians have almost entirely lost their trust in the so-called global mainstream media, or simply put the Western Media. As things are far from over, and many worries still prevail mark my word it would not be long before they came back at us with their blazing guns. They were reloading their toys when all of a sudden, like the climax of some paperback, Europe happened; Ukraine happened! Starting from the early days of the Russia-Ukraine dispute anyone could clearly witness the scramble for big audiences; so results the sensationalism sweeping across the newsrooms of the giant media institutions.
Almost every bit of news from Ukraine confirmed or otherwise, is treated as ‘Breaking News.’ Some channels even keep the ‘Breaking News’ with big, bold, red letters for hours while they provide you with no new information. It’s rather strange when what happens at 8:00 P.M. is still ‘Breaking News’ at 8:00 P.M. wouldn’t you say? But then it is about ratings and all and everything is justified as long as it keeps millions glued to their sets.
Talking about Ukraine practically no one mentions any of them. No wonder history is repeating itself in more ways than one. What we have seen in their reporting of our situation for over a year is being repeated.
I can tell you that quite a lot of Ethiopians, more from emotions rather than the realities seem to have made up their mind. “Why should I feel sorry for those who have been trying hard to have us hit hard with debilitating sanctions at the UNSC?” “Where was the world when Ethiopians were dying by their hundreds and thousands, being raped by their tens of thousands, being uprooted from their homes by their hundreds of thousands, entire towns being destroyed? I for one could fully understand the anger that is leading people to see things through such emotional spectacles. In fact a couple of Russian flags were seen during the celebrations of the Victory of Adwa.
One seems to have become clear enough for a lot of questions to be settled. War reporting seems to have been defined. I mean no innocent person black, white yellow or whatever should lose their lives. That’s humanity at its most basic. You wouldn’t want others to suffer what you have gone through because seldom does that make any lasting impact. True the Ukraine war is a most horrendous one that shouldn’t have happened in this age of so-called age modernity. The same goes to the wars in Syria, Yemen and a lot of other places where lives are lost not by their scores but by their hundreds and more.
Many are claiming some racism was behind the Western media’s coverage of wars. By the way, it is sad that some of the most racist souls in this world are those who decades back have seen their earlier generations suffer under discrimination. You can’t complain about your citizens being discriminated against in other countries while in your own country foreigners of different skin color or belief are being abused!
The talk about the war in Ukraine would have been all about the actual military engagements, the causalities on all sides, the weapons being deployed and all sorts of such things. But no; while such talk exists, as Africans, and most of all as black Africans, we seem to have been affected in more ways than one. Pictures tell stories, don’t they? And one can’t just brush away the glaring fact Africans and also other people of color trying to flee to safety being abused. No one wants to be sitting ducks! Pictures of a number of Africans abandoned in train stations under the falling snow while trains they were prevented from boarding left the stations is heartbreaking. This is happening in modern day Europe. But the other sides of the borders aren’t all the safe havens we expect them to be.
One journalist wrote, “Street fighting In Europe!” No wonder the whole situation sucks the wind out of him because his continent place was supposed to be the reinvention of Heaven on earth. But then someone should also have been equally flabbergasted at the treatment of Africans whose only crime was being there to acquire further knowledge. The headlines should have screamed, “People being prevented from boarding trains and busses because of their skin color!” But no, that’s not going to happen; because as is becoming more and more evident war reporting is subjective. The causalities, the sufferings, the all-round destruction, the effects on the innocent populace… are evaluated on the basis of where and to whom it happens.
“Hey aren’t you writing about the hundred people who died today in Yemen fighting?”
“Waiter! Please the bill!”
Those Africans who managed to cross borders have been subjected to the taunts and abuses from what the Western media is trying to tell us are ‘extremists.’ Yes extremists of all kinds are the curse of humanity; but is it only the extremists doing such terrible things? I think not.
While we’re at it, I think Ethiopia took the right path not being part of the voting. This is not only a delicate situation but one that will have global repercussions for a long time to come. On the other hand, with the entire Europe seeming on a war footing there are many unanswered questions. There are many long held grudges, motivations, hatreds…. While what is happening in Ukraine is horrendous to put it mildly, anyone who thinks everyone shouting at the top of their voices is concerned about the country and its people would make grave mistake. Political motivation and not humanity drive this world; and there doesn’t seem any sign this will improve anytime soon. In fact, even sports competitions having entered the political fray you can imagine what is coming for this world down the line.
They’re at it again!
The Ethiopian Herald March 6/2022