Ethiopia: Afar and Amhara Regional State Government Press Release’s are revealing

Today is the fourth day after the full-scale war started again in the Tigray region. There are now reports that the Ethiopian National Defence Force (ENDF), Amhara allies (Amhara Regional Special Forces and Amhara Para-Military Group “Fano”) and Eritrean Defence Force (EDF). These has all encircled the region in advance to the latest conflict. While they are doing the same stick as in November 2020. Saying the Tigray Defence Force (TDF) and their forces breached the “humanitarian truce”. However, the ENDF Air-Force did bomb Tigrayan territories way before that and also station troops in the nearby region in advance of their new offensive towards the Tigray. Therefore, this is just like the 2020 “Law Enforcement Operation” and they are trying to use the same means this time as well.

However, the TDF is seemingly having a momentum and been able to get to Kobo in North Wollo, in Amhara region. Where the ENDF has retreated from. While there is reports of the attacks and advances in the Afar region. This is telling, because these are the same regions the TDF went into on their offensive during last year. When the TDF was on the way to block the roads from Djibouti entering Ethiopia. In such a way that it could control the fright and convoys of imports into the Republic, which it was never able to last year; but it was the end-game.

The second part was to establish itself outside of Tigray and make itself a route to Addis Ababa. To be able to logistically to takeover the capital and bring justice to the oppressors. However, that never happened either.

What has happened today is that both the Amhara and Afar Regional States has issued Press Release’s and I will only take a few small paragraphs from it. Then their discuss what they are actually saying.

Amhara Regional State says this: “The Amhara regional government has done important things in the past four years that will benefit the people of the region from the unity of Ethiopia. It is known that the terrorist group of TPLF, who understood this situation, is working with an objective from the beginning to hinder the people and government of Amhara from the opportunity to ensure their own development” (Amhara regional state, 27.08.2022).

It further states: “The TPLF terrorist group that hasn’t been stopped by this destruction and massacre has committed treason that will endanger the sovereignty of Ethiopia. The national defense force has attacked the northern command. More than this, Melkea’s land location and cultural and religious interaction with the people of Tigray, the invasion of the Amhara region, which has thousands of years of togetherness has caused a lot of human damage” (…) “The Amhara regional government’s desire to resolve all conflicts peacefully is strong. But because of the refusal of the terrorist group TPLF, the options for peace are closed, the regional government has forced the people to fulfill its responsibility of protecting them. Therefore, the terrorist group of TPLF is making necessary and reasonable preparations to counter the invasion” (Amhara regional state, 28.07.2022).

It is very interesting that the Amhara speaks of UNITY, when their forces and allies are the ones that has besieged the borders of Tigray. The ones that has Annexed the Western Tigray with other allies of the Tripartite Alliance. That’s the sort of work the Amhara has done. They have also participated in this war and invested in it. This is well known, the Fano is known for it’s acts and usage of force. The Ministry of Peace and the Commission for National Dialogue haven’t worked accordingly to it’s mission. It is just foolery to believe so and the naive trust that. This is just peddling propaganda and further vilifying the Tigray, which has become such a constant in the Republic.

The Afar region state is also very harsh and rightfully so, but this region has been very hard and had little to no help from the regional government. The Amhara is close allies and the Addis Ababa cherish their strength and commitment to the “cause”. However, the Afar is just the part of the nation that get all the stray-bullets and victims without any consideration. So, the Afar regional state is within it’s rights to feel violated. Because of it strategic importance and the reasons for why the Tigray Defence Force attacks it to hurt the Federal Government…

Afar regional state says: “The group has repeatedly opened for three rounds of war through Afar region and has massacred innocent women, children and elders without mercy, destroyed public institutions, religious institutions, and displaced a large number of innocent people from their homes to suffering, starvation, poverty and death. Since the terrorist TPLF, which has committed atrocities against innocent people, is not hindering the unity of the neighboring people of Afar and Tigray, the people and the government of Afar should see the terrorist group as a separate group, and the respected humanitarian aid that is needed to rescue the people of Tigray should pass through Afar without any preconditions. Rally organizations, humanitarian organizations and They have been working with international organizations” (Afar Regional State, 27.08.2022).

It further states: “Just like the terrorist TPLF has done on the fronts it has opened before, it has opened a war using a wave of people targeting innocent people. In Afar region, Fenti Resu zone, Yalo woreda, a heavy weapon was fired at innocent farmers and children have been killed and injured. The international community group is working to create a more mass outcry in Afar region and Amhara. So we should stand with humanity by condemning this inhuman and brutal act!” (Afar Regional State, 27.08.2022).

What is striking here is that too cries out when they are the victims. They are rightfully aware that a war has consequences for all parties. The sadness of war is that the innocent dies and the evil lives on. The leaders aren’t on the front-lines, but soldiers and militia members. The Amhara & Afar Regional Special Forces are on the front-lines defending the territories. The TDF are attacking now because they are besieged and has nowhere to go. They got no choice and war is the only solution after over 20 months of besieged territories and lack of basic necessities. It isn’t like the Afar or Amhara has had the borders open for the international community or the humanitarian assistance to come in, according to the needs of Tigray. It has only come with the bare minimum and not the total needs… that’s why before the end of the “humanitarian truce” there was reports of starvation, famine and deaths occurring as a lack of medicines, utilities and nutrition. Therefore, the crying out loud is nothing in compared to the devastation in Tigray region. However, everyone deserves food, shelter and health care, but that has been blocked for months on end by the partners of these regional states. So, they should know why the TDF is entering their territories now.

The TDF is acting in war and has their faults. Certainly, their armies and their brigades are unfortunately killing civilians. Nevertheless, the maximizing of it. The outcry and such seems fatiguing, in comparison to the planned efforts of arresting, detaining and killing of Tigrayan ethnic people across the board. Also, in comparison to the massacres that has occurred since November 2020 in the Tigray region. That’s why these Press Releases only shows the party line of the state.

The TDF has their actions and should be independently investigated for their misgivings. The same should all the parties of the Tripartite Alliance too. That’s why the calling of acts as terrorists are only to undermine and used as means of gaining sympathy against a opponent that is vilified and expelled from the political landscape. This happened for one reason – they didn’t accept the deal that Abiy offered them; when he launched the Prosperity Party out of the defunct political coalition EPRDF. That shouldn’t be forgotten here and the TPLF got isolated and burned as a consequence of it. Yes, the TPLF as the major party in the EPRDF has to answer for their crimes in office. Now, the Prosperity Party and their allies to answer for theirs. As Abiy and his kind has ushered in the era of the “Medemer Terror” and the latest happenings this year is a proof of that.

This will continue to escalate. The language will continue to be horrific and be harsh. There will be no mercy and no sort of middle-ground. No, it will only be pure testament to the battle-torn neighbours, brothers who turned on each other for more power.

Why also it’s troubling the usage of terrorists. Is that it’s hard to see the difference between the TDF and the Tripartite Alliance, if the contrast isn’t even worse in the last mentioned alliance. The Tripartite Alliance has chosen to starve, disconnect and besiege a region for months on end. It has chosen to target ethnic Tigrayan people and extra judicial kill them even. So, if that isn’t terror and genocidal, I don’t know. While the TDF might have blood on it’s hands… what was it supposed to do? Just die without trying to self-defence? Yes, I wish the TDF didn’t kill innocent civilians and got civilians caught in the fire of their offensives. However, that’s the tragic part about war and it comes close to home. It isn’t fought on outskirts and fields of nowhere, but closer to villages and strategic points in the terrain. Therefore, the ones who wasn’t able to flee or seek shelter elsewhere; sadly get caught in the middle of it. That has happened in Afar and Amhara, but also time and time again in Tigray. That’s the vicious nature of war and beast of conflict. This is why all ways to peace should be sought, but in regard to Abiy and PP; they never intended for it; they wanted to fool the world and at the same time prepare for another offensive. Peace.

Ethiopia: Congress for Somali Cause (CSC) – The Congress for Somali Cause Statement on the Renewed Fighting in the Tigray Region (27.08.2022)

Ethiopia: FDRE Government Communication Services – The Terrorist TPLF, having closed all options for peace, has intensified teh military attacks it has launched (27.08.2022)

Ethiopia: Tegaru Distaster Relief Fund – The Tegaru Disaster Relief Fund Urges the International Community to Intervene and Save Lives Caused by hte War on Tigray (25.08.2022)

Ethiopia: Women of Tigray – Women of Tigray Appeals to the International Community to Halt the New Round of War in Tigray (25.08.2022)

Ethiopia: Tigray National Regional State – Bureau of Trade, Industry and Urban Development letter to the World Food Programme (WFP) – Subject: Requesting Fuel Replanhisment (20.08.2022)

Ethiopia: Government of Tigray – External Affairs Office – Response to the WFP’s Baseless Allegations of “Stolen” Fuel (25.08.2022)

Ethiopia: FDRE Government Communication Services – TPLF’s continued weaponization of aid at the expense of the people of Tigray (25.08.2022)

Ethiopia: Global Society of Tigray Scholars and Professionals (GSTS) – Statement of Condemnation of the New Round of Assault Launched by the Ethiopian and Amhara forces and Call for Solidarity with the People of Tigray (24.08.2022)

Ethiopia: TDF looting of fuel from WFP – Maybe last resort… but making the humanitarian crisis worse…

The Tigray region has been besieged and gotten little to no humanitarian assistance over the last two years. There been little to none and the United Nations Organizations, Humanitarian Organizations and stakeholders could barely keep their operations up and going. So, it was bad enough that the conflict is starting again after a few months of a humanitarian truce.

The Tigray Defence Force (TDF) with the looting of the World Food Programme (WFP) of fuel. They are hurting the population and the ability of the humanitarian assistance in the Tigray region. A region they know is hurting and of desperate need. We know also the blockade has blocked all normal transport or trade of fuel. So, this was maybe the only resort to have fuel for the war-effort, which is done in self-defence against the Tripartite Alliance of Ethiopian National Defence Force (ENDF), Amhara allies (Amhara Regional Special Force and Amhara Para-Military Group “Fano”) and Eritrean Defence Force (EDF).

However, by doing the looting of the WFP the TDF is doing what the Federal Government has claimed for so long. The Federal Government has claimed aid and humanitarian assistance has been used for the war-effort. Now that is actually happening, but that’s also true, because there is no other source or option for the TDF. That is the making of the Addis Ababa regime and how they besieged the region over the last two years. It is their making, but they can use this as vilification of the WFP and the TPLF, which it does and will do.

Here is the recent news about it!

United Nations:

However, we are very concerned for the civilians in frontline areas and call on all parties to adhere to their obligations under international humanitarian law to ensure their protection.

Just an example of what the impact that the renewed fighting is having, this morning, on August 24, the WFP warehouse in Mekelle was forcibly entered by Tigray Forces, who took 12 full fuel tankers with 570,000 litres of fuel. The team on the ground unsuccessfully tried to prevent this looting.

These fuel stocks were to be used solely for humanitarian purposes, for the distribution of food, fertilizer and other emergency relief items. This loss of fuel will impact humanitarian operations supporting communities in Northern Ethiopia” (United Nations – ‘HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STÉPHANE DUJARRIC, SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES, WEDNESDAY, 24 AUGUST 2022’ 24.08.2022).

FDRE Government Communication Services:

The Government does not want to dignify TPLF’s endless falsehoods with a response. The TPLF has been making all sorts of accusations over the last couple of years. It has ceaselessly spewed hostile propaganda. It has been mobilizing the population in the Tigray region with threats to all those opposed to forced conscription. Draconian punishments and denial of access to humanitarian aid are used as weapons to mobilize the population for war” (FDRE Government Communication Services – ‘A statement by the Federal Government of Ethiopia peace talks main committee’ 24.08.2022).

For anyone who has defended and wanted as much as possible humanitarian aid to get into the Tigray region. The ones who wanted that… will now see the fuel being used in war. It will be beneficial and be helpful for movement of troops and possible vehicles or mechanical divisions of the TDF.

This here will play along to the narrative of the dangers of humanitarian assistance to the Tigray region. Even if it is a one time incident. We know that humanitarian assistance has been raided and looted in Afar region by other entities too. That happened so it could reach or get to the ones in need in Tigray. Therefore, this isn’t anything new, but just makes everything harder.

The looting of the WFP in Mekelle will only amplify the outrage of Addis Ababa. Which we know is there and they want to stop everything moving into Tigray. That’s what the road-blocks, the checkpoints and the hurdles any convoy has had over the last two years. Therefore, this isn’t making it better.

The TDF did a gamble, possibly the last resort… but was it worth it? Time will tell… the WFP, the UN Organizations and stakeholders all have to sort this one out. While the one in need and the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding isn’t getting any better by doing this. It is only getting worse… that’s the tragic part here and the innocent usually dies first in war together with the truth. The truth here is that the TDF had most likely no other choice, but it doesn’t make right…

Just like it was never right of the Addis Ababa regime or the Tripartite Alliance to block the roads, stop the humanitarian assistance from entering and helping the Tigray region in the hour of need. However, they did that and created a man-made famine, which a vast amount of hte population of Tigray is facing now. In addition to the war, which is now being fought on several of fronts. Peace.