It is absurd indeed, since its inception, deception and intrigues have been in the DNA of the ragtag TPLF group. Till this very day, the criminal enterprise continues plotting strings of conspiracies, and fabricating a tsunami of untrustworthy information that do not mirror the unvarnished truth unfolding in the northern part of the country.
At the current juncture, the terrorist TPLF group is more committed than ever to hoodwink the international community with apocryphal stories apart from upping the ante.
In what could be said a last-ditch attempt, the terrorist TPLF group has been engaging in saber-rattling, intensifying animosities among people, and establishing further foothold in the beleaguered areas instead of de-escalating tensions. In addition to throwing mud at the efforts of the government for peace and spreading conflicting reports on the subject of the whole lot unfolding in the north part of the country, the terrorist TPLF group has continued its belligerent acts.
Notwithstanding the fact that the terrorist TPLF group which has been running around like a headless chicken partook in gangrape, summary killing, looting, and other criminal acts with no ill consequences, the group’s henchmen and so-called international media outlets have been whitewashing around-the-clock the nefarious deeds of the group.
In the same manner, taking the law into their own hands, the low-rated international media outlets have been persistently using fake videos and doctored photos to instill fear and mystify the international community time and time again. Worse still, nothing makes them happier than taking sides with the terrorist TPLF group that has been playing the victim card and defaming the incumbent government under the pretense of humanitarian crisis.
Though the group has been closing humanitarian corridors, the low-rated international media outlets have been laying the blame at the federal government’s doorsteps. As they fail to response to the irresponsible acts and continued disparaging the prevailing situation, concerns have been mounting and reaching at a fever pitch as the justice system in the Tigray fails to deliver justice.
It is appropriate to recall the fact that on the heels of the conflict in the northern part of the country, the terrorist TPLF group has long been mystifying the international community as though the group was on the verge of winning the war, Addis was under siege and other fictitious stories that can puzzle the international community. Dejectedly, amid rising tensions the low-rated media outlets are not in the position to lay bare the evil deeds of the group.
In the aftermath of the landmark victory of the Ethiopian National Defense Forces through the coordinated efforts of the international media outlets, all the terrorist TPLF group’s endeavor, and its henchmen went for nothing at the touch of a button.
As things stand at present, as if its preceding blunder is not enough, the terrorist TPLF group has embarked on spreading lies working as usual in close collaboration with its henchmen, and other actors saying it has withdrawn from the occupied areas of Afar and Amhara states.
As a matter of fact, the terrorist TPLF group has been giving a hard time to noncombatants residing in Afar and Amara states, turning their lives into a living hell and getting itself ready for fresh attacks and backing the country into a corner. As usual, the inappropriately named media outlets and the terrorist TPLF group which are different ends of the same snake have jumpstarted puzzling the international community with a vast number of fake news.
The TPLF has announced the withdrawal of its forces from the Amhara and Afar regions and the international media echoed these lies without cross-checking facts. The truth is that the TPLF forces have only withdrawn from a few areas of Eribti, Berehale, and Abala town while maintaining control of the surrounding areas of Abala affecting the aid corridor. It is still in control of other Woredas of Afar and the Amhara region, according to information obtained from MoFA.
Briefing the press recently, the spokesperson of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Ambassador Dina Mufti said contrary to the allegations of the TPLF and its sympathizers, the amount of aid supplied to the Tigry region has never been limited by the Ethiopian government. The provision of aid is only depending on the capacity of the international partners to provide the required amount of resources and secure safe passage.
The recent propaganda of the TPLF clique on “the shortage of medicine” in the hospitals of the Tigray region is a deliberate spin to create the illusion of scarcity while diverting the continuous supply of medicine, medical equipment and nutritious minerals through unhindered daily air flights, to private businesses and pharmacies.
TPLF has written an open letter on April 21, 2022, to the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres threatening that it will launch another round of attack if its demands are not met. TPLF is mobilizing a massive number of fighters to the areas adjacent to the Amhara and Afar regions to wage another devastating war based on a fabricated narrative. The international community should understand that the claims of the TPLF are baseless and are aimed to thwart the peacebuilding initiatives of the government, including the truce that seemed to create an understanding between the government of Ethiopia and the international community.
To let the Humanitarian Truce function in full force and properly, the international community should explicitly demand that the TPLF withdraw from all of the occupied Afar and Amhara regions. Since there is a shortage of resources as compared to the number of people in need of assistance, we encourage the international community to scale up support in this regard.
Speaking to local media, Sociology Assistant Professor at New York’s Iona University Derese Getachew (PhD) noted that though there is abundant evidence that could lead to a conclusion that the criminal faction is preparing to trigger another round of conflict. Understanding the fact that instigating conflicts across the nation would work for TPLF’s favor, it seems that the clique is returning to its habit of inciting ethnic and religious strife like the one recently witnessed in Gondar.
The academician stressed that the government should exert utmost efforts to weaken and dismantle TPLF through diplomatic pressure until binding consensus is reached. More importantly, a firm stand should be taken by the government as to how the conflict should be resolved and reveal its stand on the reconciliation idea to the public. Similarly, the government should somehow put aside the conflict and focus on resolving the political threats that are troubling the society.
“Through the prolongation of the conflict, if there is an entity that would be put in a devastating situation whether in military or political perspective is TPLF owing to the fact that the current TPLF is not the same as it was before the war erupted in many aspects.”
For a lawyer, political and security analyst Blen Mamo, though TPLF could not appear as an imminent threat, it is currently using proxy networks to create chaos in the country. The recent conflict that occurred in Gondar is a good example of the clique’s involvement in disrupting the peace of the country. “To tackle the threat posed by TPLF, strengthening the efficiency of both the federal and state security forces have a paramount significance.”
Blen further highlighted that the government needs to enhance the diplomatic caliber owing to the fact that the diplomatic arena is something Ethiopia was significantly harmed. “Accordingly, diplomatic institutions should be reinforced to the level that they can understand the global political dynamics and execute our foreign policy meticulously.”
Lack of vibrant communication and media practice is also something that was identified by the analyst as the major limitation of the current government. “Compared with the government narratives, the Ethiopian political discourse is dominated by conspiracy theory. This is because the government has had limitations regarding ensuring efficient communication.”
According to her, there were times where conspiracy theories surfaced in the country’s political discourse but one sees no efforts from the government to debunk the false information. “This communication gap could widen the hole between the government and the public since society tends to embrace disinformation.”
BY ADDISALEM MULAT
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD TUESDAY 3 MAY 2022
