Ethiopia: Abiy plans to export wheat – while several of regions are hit by famine…

We are hearing reports that a Ship is on its way to Ethiopia carrying Wheat, and that famine is looming. All this is false information aimed at pre-emptively sabotaging the credibility of our Wheat export plans” – Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali (14.08.2022).

The wheat will go to WFP’s operations in #Ethiopia. It’s one of many areas around the world where the near-complete halt of Ukrainian grain & food on the global market has made life even harder” (Abiy, 14.08.2022).

The Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Abiy Ahmed Ali is claiming and down-talking yet again humanitarian aid. It isn’t many months ago when he spoke ill of “wheat-aid”. Therefore, this is one of his pet-pees and issues he wants to settle. The PM can want to be self-sufficient and be able to produce enough food for the Republic. There is nothing wrong in that and everyone should strive on it.

If we prevent wheat aid from entering Ethiopia, 70% of our problems will be solved. Ethiopia main problem is aid wheat. Together with aid wheat diseases and many other problems comes with. Stopping aid wheat means resolving most of our problems. After stopping aid wheat, we can create touristic areas. For example, can build a cafeterias in this place like we saw earlier today. Tourists go to Cape Town and South France. In our case. It’s sitting idle” – Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali (October 2021).

However, in 2022 and at this very time… the United Nations or Humanitarian Organizations aren’t undermining the authorities or the Prosperity Party for that matter. No, they are just coming with aide to the ones in need, which isn’t only in the Tigray region that has been besieged for months. No, they have to go Somali (Ogaden) region, parts of Oromia region and Afar region too. There are so many people who needs help across the Republic.

OCHA reported it like this ten days ago: “The overall humanitarian situation in Ethiopia has significantly deteriorated in 2022 leading to increased humanitarian needs across the country due to ongoing conflict and violence, and climatic shocks such as the prolonged drought. More than 20 million people are to be targeted for humanitarian assistance and protection this year. Nearly three quarters of them are women and children” (OCHA, 05.08.2022).

There are millions of people who needs it now. Yes, there are fields that grows wheat in Ethiopia. However, that is clearly not sustainable or able to cope with the needs of the Republic. That farmers and the Ethiopian agriculture is able to produce and expand their production is fine. Nevertheless, that doesn’t solve the crisis or the famines which are occurring.

These famines aren’t created to undermine or create distress for the Prime Minister. No, they are either happening because of the policies of the Republic of blocking humanitarian aide to the Northern Ethiopia, in general to the Tigray Region, or it’s happening because of prolonged drought and climate, which no one controls. Even if the Prime Minister has promised technology to create rain the other year. Clearly, buying drones and bullets for his war has been more important to his whole reign.

We are seeing the attitude and the charisma of a self-absorbed man. Who thinks he can solve everything on his own. A man who don’t want interference and want to be self-sufficient, but doesn’t have the tools or ability to see the struggles now. Maybe the years in the Palace in Addis Ababa has made him forget about the plights of the commoner. Because they are struggling from the tip of Ogaden to the end of Tigray. He clearly don’t mind their issues and think the imported wheat is there to destroy his vision.

However, the wheat imports is only to save the lives of civilians within his Republic. He should be happy it is coming. Nevertheless, that’s too much to ask for a man who clearly don’t value those lives or the suffering of the citizens as a whole. Peace.

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Ethiopia: Reports of Issa-Somali militia skirmishes in the Afar region…

Armed militia from the Afar region of Ethiopia attacked the town of Andhufo killing 20 civilians on Sunday. This event took place on 08/14/2022 at the following location: Afar Region, Ethiopia” (Geopolitical Report – ‘Afar region militia kill 20 civilians in Andhufo’ 14.08.2022).

Great news – the last occupied Issa Somali town, Unda Fo’o in Afar just fallen to Afar!! – the Awash Road from Samara now opens for the first time in 3 years!! At last Afar/ truck drivers can live without the terror of Issa raiding and roadside contraband is over” (Afar APDA, 12.08.2022).

This week the Issa-Somali Militia and it’s also reported from other sources that Liyu Police of the Somali (Ogaden) Region has attacked the Afar region. It is sadly not new and the Issa-Somali militia has attacked Afar before and seemingly continue to do so.

What is striking this week is that parts of the reports said the skirmishes was happening in the Sitti Zone of the Somali (Ogaden) region. While in reality these attacks was in Gabi or Zone 3 of the Afar region. It is tragic that people are selling the annexation and the planned efforts of taking territories from Afar. That’s why they are trying to distort old deals and agreements to besiege them with force.

The Issa-Somali militia got support from Djibouti and the authorities there. While we cannot today be sure of it the leadership or the leaders in Somali (Ogaden) region is also involved. We know that the Vice-President of Ogaden has previously been involved in sponsoring conflict. So, we don’t know if this is the case this time.

We can certainly be sure that the Afar Pastoralist and the Afar Regional Special Forces are behind the defence and the reason why the Issa-Somali militia didn’t get further into the territory. While it is really tragic that this is occurring and the amounts of lives lost.

There are reports that in Gawani town in Zone 3. That the forces are on high alert, as they are expecting counter attacks from the Issa Somali. This is what is reported from the area today.

This means we should sadly expect more the coming days. Most likely not yet peace, but more defensive operations for the Afar forces. Peace.

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Opinion: Gen. Tumwine cannot intimidate death

The National Resistance Movement and National Resistance Army General Elly Tumwine cannot run away from the past or the present. There is a reason why people are celebrating your death and wishing you dead. That’s because of the choices you did while in power and in office. It isn’t like Gen. Tumwine is innocent or a choir-boy. We all know what sort of man he was and that’s why people are addressing their grievances.

Gen. Tumwine won’t be fondly remembered by plenty. That’s his legacy and the career that he built. No matter what sort of sacrifices he did in the Bush. The generations after that didn’t eat out of that. Except for a small marginalized click of NRA fighters and the anointed people around the President. Therefore, Tumwine can be praised by those, because he kept the NRM alive, but not serving the people.

Gen. Tumwine was on Thursday flown to Nairobi, Kenya in critical condition. After rumours of his death yesterday on Saturday. We don’t know how his condition or sickness for that matter. He has to be ill to be flown out and not getting treatment in Kampala. That’s why the state has offered this and made it possible for him. A sort of service and option that the average citizen would never see or have ability to do.

The General knows perfectly well what he did and the lives his taken. That is something he knows. Both as an army commander, Minister of Security and all the other roles he had in government. Tumwine has played a vital role in the security apparatus and he has had no scruples. That’s why he blocked MPs to have oversight of “Safe-Houses”, using soldiers to quell to demonstrators and all other measures to be in power. Therefore, his life work has been surrounded by terror and death.

He has chosen to intimidate and scare. The weapons, the soldiers and the use of torture to get his ways. Gen. Tumwine has used this and spelled out it a lot of times. He has acted above the law and been practically the law in flesh. Now, his meeting the one thing he cannot overpower, which is ageing and health.

Gen. Tumwine and the family might want sympathy. However, the General never shown that to the dissidents, the rioters or the ones fallen. No, he has expected total retribution and demise of the ones in his way. This man haven’t served with concern of life or worried about using lethal means. No, that’s been his code. So, a man like that is hard to give any sympathy too. His made this bed and he got to sleep in it.

That Tumwine is on life-support at Aga Khan in Nairobi says it all. He did his whole defend a government and a system, which couldn’t help him when he needed the most back-home. The man who was UPDF MP in Parliament for ages. A former Minister for Security and all the other roles served. Certainly, he could have offered and made amends while in office. However, he chose to be a Freedom Fighter and be a loyalist of the NRM.

This is why Gen. Tumwine is paying the price now. His part of “them” and the ones who has enforced brutality, torture and extra judicial killings. As a leader and as a man who choose to do this and that’s why people will not shed tears for his demise. Because, people know people who has been touched by his orders. The system he was part of and he could easily order death. That’s why people will not sorrow when his day comes.

Gen. Tumwine and family might want him to be remembered as a legend or bush war hero. However, the innocent lives on his record will stain him forever. The lives that he has shattered, the families he has broken, that will linger on and be part of his legacy. This was choices he made and prospered while doing so. It isn’t like he couldn’t have changed path or decided differently. Everyone can take a moral stance or consider their actions. However, he choose to get people abducted, use safe-houses, order soldiers onto the streets and use lethal force against civilians. That’s the sort of man he was and that he cannot run away.

He cannot run away from that, not even in death. Since that’s what he did as a living and a man in power. The General could have done it differently, but that wasn’t his character. People are celebrating his demise, because he ordered the demise of others. That’s why he will not be fondly remembered by everyone. He might have been a good father, a great grandparent and a family man. However, that doesn’t change the blood that is on his hands. That they cannot erase or get us to forget. Peace.

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