BY ADDISALEM MULAT
The sham report released by the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia has laid bare the hidden motives and interests of Ethiopia’s foes. To everyone’s dismay, the fabricated report gives the cold shoulder to the self-evident truth unfolded in the northern part of the country.
Notwithstanding the fact that the terrorist TPLF group perpetrated summary killings, gang rape, lootings, and other criminal acts with no ill consequences in the northern part of the country, for the most part, in Amhara and Afar states, the report sweeps the whole truth under the carpet and confounds the wider international community.
It is a shame that putting aside the unspeakable atrocities committed with no ill effects in Amhara and Afar states by the criminal organization, the report laid all the blames at the doorsteps of the federal government.
In the same manner, to serve the interests of some groups and pursue their hidden agenda going on behind closed curtains, the commission report has turned deaf ear to atrocities committed by the rogue TPLF clique.
The report devoid of carrying out a scientific investigation issues a fictional report on false accusations and flawed data collection and analysis methods.
In the same manner, the commission with its flawed report in black and white tried to exonerate the criminal group and assigns liability to the incumbent.
In spite of the fact that the rouge group at all hours of the day and night has been pouring cold water on the unwavering stance of the government to make peace happen, the report lays the blame at the incumbent’s door and parroting the interest of the ragtag group. As a matter of fact, the report from its head to foot does not say anything about the unspoken truth about the illegal organization.
In the present climate, Ethiopians at home and abroad have been going to the ends of the earth to make conversant the international community with the commission’s cooked up report. There is no denying the fact that the intended destination of the report is to put unwarranted pressure on Ethiopia and twist its arms more than ever before.
Picking sides with the outlaw group that has been playing the victim card and mystifying the international community with fictitious stories; the commission’s report sticks the blame on the incumbent and throws a wet blanket over the positive achievements. It is abundantly clear that the terrorist TPLF group’s self-obsessed and warmongering stance conjoined with the hush of the global community turning out to be impediment to the peace process.
It should be borne in mind that the criminal enterprise in the northern part of the country has turned the lives of noncombatants into chaos and suffering. Although atrocities perpetrated in Amhara and Afar stats ruined the lives of civilians, the group has continued turning the whole thing upside down.
In the same way, from the destruction of schools, hospitals, and other infrastructure to perpetrating unspeakable crimes against the people of Afar and Amhara, the disgruntled group has been moving heaven and earth to tarnish the image of the country. In spite of this reality, the report fails to expose the nefarious deeds of the ragtag group.
Ethiopia’s Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva Ambassador Zenebe Kebede stated that the conclusions of the “report” are self-contradictory and biased which doesn’t pay attention to the T-TPLF’s atrocities in Afar and Amhara states. “We have no option than to reject this report, as we have rejected the resolution that established it and the very establishment of this mechanism as well.”
Noting the government’s commitment to collaborate with any human rights mechanism founded on a genuine objective of protecting human rights, the ambassador indicated there is no any single evidence that shows government’s weaponized of starvation. “We questioned the legitimacy of establishing the expert commission because the purpose of the establishment was to reinvestigate what has already been investigated by the Office of the High Commissioner and the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission jointly.”
“We will never cooperate with the established mechanism and we decided to engage with the expert commission to discuss modalities of cooperation if they are ready to take into account the concerns of Ethiopia and focus on what has never been done rather than repeating what has already been done.”
He further stressed that the UN Human Right Council unanimously endorsed the joint investigation and recommended the Ethiopian government to conduct a criminal investigation and ensure accountability. Accordingly, the Ethiopian government immediately established an inter-ministerial task force to facilitate the investigation task.
The government requested the Office of the High Commissioner including the President of the Human Right Council to investigate both Amhara and Afar states the same way they did in Tigray, but there was no positive response. After the withdrawal of federal forces from the region T-TPLF has crossed into the neighboring states and committed atrocious crimes.
“What we have observed from the expert commission is that they have made the attempt to invite the UN Security Council intervention to the renewed conflict which has been triggered by the T-TPLF and transgressed their mandate. By the same token, the UN Human Right council doesn’t have the mandate to intervene in the peace and security matters which is the domain of the UNSC,” Ambassador Zenebe remarked.
Speaking to the Ethiopian Press Agency (EPA), International Relations and Diplomacy Lecturer at Civil Service University Endale Nigussie noted that, the commission cannot save the terrorist faction in this way because its “report” is far from credible.
As to him, the “report” is deliberately looking for mistakes and excuses to maintain the existence of the T-TPLF group and designed to hide the faction’s corrupt practices. Because Ethiopians exposed the TPLF as a terrorist to the international community, this means that members of the commissions themselves have been traveling with the terrorist group by providing direction and financial supply. “Therefore, they want to take this burden of their violence and wrongdoing to someone else. Neither Ethiopians nor the international community will ever accept this.”
The expert further highlighted that, the commission is not making the “report” public because they do not want to blame the group that took the aid to the well and brought weapons to the fort. According to the “report” they announced, the commission’s support to the terrorist group is very immoral. “Using humanity for this obscene act is very disgraceful and the commission’s use of human rights for political gain is also shameful.”
The fact that three individuals were allowed to write a fiction without coming to the place and leaving behind the report studied by a legal and international organization is far from credible. This approach will not change things as much as they want, but will unite Ethiopians more and it also makes Africans see themselves.
“Ethiopians should be able to understand this wrong agenda of the West, which is part of the mixed war. The body that issued the report is itself an illegal group. The report was issued illegally. Therefore, Ethiopians should not be taken away by false propaganda.”
Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has called on all human rights groups to implement the Joint Investigation Team (JIT)’s recommendations towards the allegation of violation of human rights following the occurrence of Northern Ethiopian conflict.
Recognizing the limitations and challenges faced by the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia (ICHREE ), EHRC said that the report of ICHREE has hindered its selection of incidents and themes to a handful, as well as faced the complete lack of coverage of serious human rights and humanitarian law violations which could amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Afar state.
EHRC underscored that the JIT report together with EHRC’s follow-up report on Afar, Amhara, and parts of Tigray states, remain the most comprehensive reports on violations and abuses of international human rights law, humanitarian law, and refugee law committed following the occurrence of the conflict.
“The Inter-Ministerial Taskforce of the Government of Ethiopia has to reinforce measures towards the timely, effective, and visible implementation of the JIT recommendations while maintaining international and regional standards.”
Noting ICHREE to enhance its engagement with the JIT, EHRC pointed out the need for supporting on implementation of the JIT recommendations related to transitional justice and related areas.
Explaining its commitment to play its role, EHRC said that it is ready to cooperate with the ICHREE within the framework of cooperation proposed, including support to the ICHREE on discussions with the State to grant access to affected areas in Northern Ethiopia.
As the report is full of fictitious stories that do not reflect the ongoing circumstances on the ground, the international community should do everything to lambaste the evil deeds of the report and bring into contact the world with the truth. Regardless of the fact that the government has been leaving no stone unturned to extend an olive branch with a focus on getting the disgruntled group into the negotiation table at the earliest possible time, the Commission’s report fails to give credit to the gospel truth.
As the fake report released by the commission focuses on belittling the continuous efforts of the government to beat swords into plowshare and perplexing the global community, concerned authorities should go the extra mile to disseminate the universal truth sooner rather than later
The Ethiopian Herald 25 September 2022
