BY TESFAYE BEZABIH (PHD)
PART II
On the month of March 2022, the Ethiopian government announced a humanitarian truce in the war-affected areas across northern Ethiopia, yet renewed fighting in the TPLF forces launched complicated the humanitarian situation and dashed the recent hopes for peace after TPLF’S violation of the humanitarian truce(https://www.ethioembassy.org.uk/tplfs-violation-of-the-humanitarian-truce/)
TPLF’s looting of the UN’s World Food Program 570,000 liters of fuel in Tigray’s capital Mekelle that was meant for humanitarian aid distribution efforts vividly exhibited the grim realities of war. TPLF’s heinous act partly amazed the pro-TPLF multilateral organization like the UN and it vividly displays the rebel group’s true color to the world. Although David Beasley-WFP executive director described TPLFs robbing of the fuel as ‘’outrageous and disgraceful’, TPLF did not feel guilty rather it rejected the WFP allegation and disclosed that they have taken the fuel which had lent to the UN months back and did not commit any robberies.
Disclosing all the horrible felonies of TPLF, accusing the group of the atrocities which have been committed against the country, the people of, Amahara, the people of Afar, the so-called ‘Humanitarian Organization’ and western media don’t have any space and gut to condemn the rebel group. In fact, such a silence merely indicated that the above actors are the fundamental allies of the terrorist group and they are behind the curtain in all miseries.
When the Ethiopian government claimed that the TPLF had opened new war fronts in northwestern parts as well as in the Eastern Amhara region, the west has given an elephant ear to the voice of the Ethiopian Federal government. As the war is becoming fierce and terrorist TPLF is being punished by the Country’s National Defense force, they immediately break up their silence and come as peace mediators. In most cases, they were stating both parties should stop the conflict and come to a reconciliation.
Such a statement is a usual utterance of the west when they feel TPLF is retreating and being defeated in the war. Their camouflaged peace talks and regular concern on this conflict is to extend the life of the TPLF group in Ethiopian Politics. However, the west should bear in mind that TPLF’s primary aim and dream is to ruin Ethiopia unless it comes back to the throne at the palace in arat killo and control all the securities and key business firms; otherwise, it prefers to become the dangerous terrorist group in the horn of Africa which ultimately disquiet the horn of Africa.
Terrorist TPLF as a Swinging pendulum for peace talks
When T-TPLF was opposing the formation of the now-ruling Prosperity Party in December 2019, retreated to Tigray, and rejected to become part of the new political bloc led by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, it also rejected several rounds of planned in-house peace talks. For instance, on the 9th of February 2021, a delegation from Addis Ababa comprises a group of elders made up of religious leaders and notable persons including athlete Haile Gebrselassie who traveled into Mekelle for what was billed as a peace conference, yet TPLF rejected the peace talks, besides mothers, other influential peace negotiators had also repeatedly gone to Mekelle and have a discussion with top TPLF leaders, however, the peace talk resulted in nothing.
Therefore, the TPLF was responsible for the failed pre-war mediation basically the TPLF leaders were unwilling to drop their preconditions and participate in the bilateral negotiations with the prosperity Party( PP) https://www.awashpost.com/2021/12/09/ethiopian-elders-and-religious-leaders-failed-to-stop-the-tigray-war-can-they-end-it-now/.What other actors are not able to understand and are impaired by the nature of the rebel group is that T-TPLF is quite reluctant and rigid for the peace talks and merely believes in arms, not in round table discussions. For that, it has not yet stopped its solo bravado action and white propaganda on the existence of the nation believing that the nation will fall unless it comes to power and leads the 100 and above millions of Ethiopians again.
Indeed a lot of illustrative actions were demonstrated and showed the patient effort and determination with which the Ethiopian government tried to accommodate TPLF as a potential partner for development and peace on several occasions, the Ethiopian government called upon the TPLF to cease its destabilizing conduct and to become a force of peace and development. Despite numerous opportunities have given to work with the Federal government, TPLF continued its malicious and anti –Ethiopia thesis on the sovereign nation and waged a war against its own people in different rounds, many were ambush attacks.
Being accompanied by the West’s, the international media and the lobbying industries’ full support, TPLF’s plan to destabilize Ethiopia is often practical by its inhuman action. Since the Ethiopian government has the legitimate right to keep the safety and security of its people, it should be crystal clear that the government has the full right to defend the people and its nation both from internal and outside attacks.
Ethiopia’s government unreserved effort to bring peace is always the only option for ending up the war. For that, the government always believes the peace door remains open as far as TPLF genuinely believes in the value of peace and dialogue. Though the government has disclosed several statements on the value of peace to end the conflict, its initiative and genuine interest in peace have not been given due attention by the West. The government’s stand on peace is a primer agenda, yet the west’s primary political order of business is blackmailing the government and showing their support to TPLF.
Amid the severe conflict between the Tigray rebel forces and the Federal government interest in peace is always bounteous. However, TPLFs interest in peace talks is often vacillating. In plain language, TPLF and its ally don’t want the AU’s initiative to take the lion’s share of the peace agenda. TPLF primarily wanted to have other western actors to involve in the peace process and requires the participation of international officials as observers however; as the Ethiopian government believes African problems should be solved by Africans themselves, the welcoming of other external actors for the negotiation process is not welcomed. https://www.thetelegraph.com/news/article/Peace-talks-in-Ethiopian-conflict-are-delayed-17493292.php
Following the last peace call in which both parties disclosed their interest, western media are twisting the agenda and undermining the effort of the AU in their news reporting. For instance, the Reuters news agency’s next to its news headline read as ”Ethiopia Peace talks delayed for logistical reasons”, narrated issues with doubt of negotiations and brings a vague concern for the international community. The statement is read as follows:
“The current AU-led peace talk’s process excludes Amharas – the largest affected group in the war,” the Amhara Association of America, a lobby group, said in a statement.
Even in its letter accepting the AU invitation, the leader of Tigray forces suggested he had reservations, asking for clarification on who had been invited as participants, observers and guarantors.
“There are a number of issues that need to be resolved before (talks) occurs, and mediators will then face a major challenge … to get the two parties to commit to a new truce,” said William Davison, senior analyst for Ethiopia at the International Crisis Group think-tank.(https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/ethiopia-peace-talks-delayed-logistical-reasons-diplomats-2022-10-07/)
The reference point for the news outlet is the pro-TPLF political analyst like William Davison who has been propagating his biased political view on the Northern conflict starting from the onset of the war and who is publishing unreliable information to the international community. The statement on the news also included a statement stated to them by the Amhara Association lobby group which would they think of such a statement will bring a crackdown and doubt on the Amhara community in Ethiopia and indirectly support their hidden objective.
Earlier the TPLF rejected talks under the mediation of the African Union, however, the rebel group recently announced it accepted the AU’s invitation to talks in South Africa, which would be expected to be the first normal negotiation between the two sides since the war broke out in November 2020.
As it has been revealed many times, Ethiopia government’s primary interest is to end the bloody war in peace and dialogue, nevertheless, some are arguing that by the name of peace talks, TPLF’S taking a breath for consolidating power to launch another concealed ambush against the federal government and on civilians and the rebel groups lack interest peace talks (https://www.voaafrica.com/a/6707322.html)
As the Ethiopian government is punishing the rebel groups plus prioritizing the need to end the conflict peacefully, TPLF won’t accept its demise and seems to believe as Edgar Allan Poe said ‘’ Even in the grave, all is not lost’’. TPLF is always scapegoating all of its crimes and blaming the Ethiopian government for all the horrible mess committed in the nation. The group’s chameleon behavior and malicious manner is boldly written in the mind of Ethiopians Ethiopian forever.
Even if the West’s either knowingly underpin the rebel group or misunderstood the conflict, their international media’s partial reporting escalates the conflict and bewildered the international community, the pay-for-play network, and unholy marriage with lobbyist groups like the Von- Batten Montague-york-LC https://twitter.com/batten_von/header_photo lobbying firm, and then to cumulated campaign against Ethiopia won’t rescue the life of the TPLF from its total demise.
Ultimately the west and their international media should understand that the TPLF, being the victim of its own ethnic-driven policy, had to opt for force at any given time to stay in power. That is at the root of the conflict in northern Ethiopia today.
About the Author: Tesfaye Bezabih is a lead researcher at the Institute of Foreign Affairs. IFA and an Assistant Professor of Mass Communication. He has published several media and communication articles regarding Ethiopia.
Editor’s Note: The views entertained in this article do not necessarily reflect the stance of The Ethiopian Herald
The Ethiopian Herald October 21/2022
