Ethiopia: Press Release by the United Front of Ethiopian Federalist and Confederalist Forces (UFEFCF) on Ongoing Genocide in Ethiopia! – Subjecting the Entire People of Tigray to Crimes Against Humanity and Genocide in Ethiopia Must Be Immediately Stopped and Condemned in the Strongest Possible Terms! (26.11.2021)

Ethiopia: Millions more in need of food assistance as a direct result of conflict in Northern Ethiopia, says WFP (26.11.2021)

Of the people across northern Ethiopia in need of assistance, more than 80% (7.8 million) of them are behind battle lines.

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, November 26, 2021 – The number of people in need of humanitarian food assistance across northern Ethiopia has grown to an estimated 9.4 million as a direct result of ongoing conflict, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) announced today.

Amhara region – the frontlines of the conflict in Ethiopia – has seen the largest jump in numbers with 3.7 million people now in urgent need of humanitarian aid. Of the people across northern Ethiopia in need of assistance, more than 80% (7.8 million) of them are behind battle lines. It is vital that food assistance can cross battle lines to reach families in need.

  • This week WFP delivered food to over 10,000 people in the Amhara towns of Dessie and Kombolcha on behalf of the Joint Emergency Operation (JEOP). These are the first distributions to happen in these towns since they were taken over by Tigray Forces almost a month ago. WFP was only granted full access to its warehouses in the region last week.
  • The nutrition situation across North Ethiopia is deteriorating with screening data from all three regions showing malnutrition rates between 16%-28% for children. Even more alarmingly, up to 50% of pregnant and breastfeeding women screened in Amhara and Tigray were also found to be malnourished.
  • To date WFP has reached more than 3.2 million people with emergency food and nutrition assistance across northern Ethiopia, including 875,000 vulnerable mothers and children with nutritionally fortified food in Tigray and Amhara.
  • United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) flights into Tigray resumed on Wednesday, rotating the first humanitarian workers into and out of the region since a security incident on 22 October.
  • WFP needs a million litres of fuel to be able to reach the 7.8 million people who are currently behind the battle lines and in urgent need of food assistance. Tigray Authorities have made fuel available for WFP in Kombolcha – with an initial batch of 45,000 litres already on its way to support the scale-up of food assistance in Tigray.
  • A convoy loaded with 2,200 metric tons of life-saving food is expected to arrive in Mekelle in the coming days, 35 trucks have arrived so far. In addition, trucks loaded with food from Kombolcha are being sent into Southern Tigray today.
  • Corridors into Tigray had been closed due to the recent Tigrayan offences on Afar and Amhara, as well as severe disruptions in clearances from Federal Government. Since mid-July, less than a third of the supplies required to meet estimated humanitarian food needs have entered the region.
  • In Tigray, in this current round of food assistance, WFP has reached 180,000 people – just 7 percent of the 2.5 million WFP needs to reach.
  • In Amhara, WFP has reached more than 220,000 people with food and nutrition assistance and is scaling up to reach 650,000 people.
  • In Afar, WFP has distributed food to 124,000 people out of its targeted 534,000.
  • WFP’s Northern Ethiopia response urgently requires US$316 million to deliver assistance over the next six months. Across the entire country, WFP has an unprecedented funding gap of US$579 million to save and change the lives of 12 million people over the next six months.
  • Funding shortages have already forced ration cuts for some 710,000 refugees and 2.4 million food insecure people in Somali region.

Ethiopia: Joint NGOs/CSOs letter to UN Human Rights Council – The UN Human Rights Council should urgently hold a special session to address the ongoing human rights crisis (25.11.2021)

Ethiopia: New State of Emergency Measures (!!!)

Early in November 2021 the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE) issued a Nationwide State of Emergency, as the Tigray Defence Force (TDF) – Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) – United Front was starting to advance to strategical parts in the Amhara region. Therefore, the state and the Republic set in motion, stipulations and articles of which gave the state more power and also more oversight to every moment in the Republic.

However, that haven’t been enough, as there have been one revision or additional order before today’s new measures. Meaning this the third one in month. This is now happening while the FDRE is run by acting Prime Minister Demeke Mekonnen Hassen and the (s)elected PM is at unknown location. While there been speculations that he was at the Afar front-line, but quickly vanished from there back to the palace in Addis Ababa. However, that hasn’t been confirmed, as of yet. Nobody knows where he is or is up-to.

What we do know… is by official channels that the state has issued new restrictions and new measures.

First and foremost, it is illegal to wear military fatigue or regalia, if you are a civilian or not part of any security organizations. Meaning the only one allowed to wear uniform or fatigues is if you are a soldier, part of special force or a police officer. It is forbidden to wear it otherwise.

Secondly, the citizens are forbidden from giving intelligence or leak information of the whereabout or the locations of military troops. Battlefield or frontline information should only go through by either civilian or military leaders. Meaning, all information on how the warfare is going and what’s happening in the front. These sorts of statement or intelligence is only allowed to be controlled by the state. A private person or a citizen is forbidden from writing that on any social media or on any media platform. This would also block newspapers, journalists and reporters from broadcasting or reporting from the frontline. As they have to await statements from state officials or military spokespersons before they publish stories. Therefore, this is blocking the news and the ability to follow what happens on the frontline. As it will take away many people’s ability to publish or print about what happens on the frontline. That is the reality out of this. 

This just shows how dire things are… when these sorts of things is happening. This is not a sign of strength or control. It is very clear that the state want to ensure who is involved in the conflict. That’s why they target the fatigues and the ones wearing military outfits. The second is to have total control of the output of information and seize anyone who leaks any sort of intelligence. That is to mull and silence, anyone who drops viable intel and can damage the war-effort. It is silencing the citizens, but a natural stance when the war-effort is going badly.

The Federal Government is clearly not going strong. The ENDF and it’s allies is clearly not able to stagnate the attacks on all fronts. They are clearly missing the mark. If it was going smooth. None of these measures would have been put. The state wouldn’t have cared, because they wanted to big-men like they where in the end of November last year in 2020. However, that time has long gone…

These measures are clear and with intent. There is no middle-ground. What this is aiming at the heart. While striking fear and also silence the ones who dares to write online. They want no information leaking out. The state don’t want any sort of reporting on the military campaigns or ‘counteroffensive’ for that matter. Because, that would hurt the pride, but also the end-game of the state too.

This is what wits end looks like. It is devastating to see how hard the state has fallen. However, the same state has made a man-made famine and weaponized aid. So, hard to feel sorry when innocent civilians are dying as a cause of their efforts. This brutality is just coming home and the ones who dares to challenge it at this time. Will, well… face the law like the Debre Birhan Police Chief Taye Habtegiorgis who dared to question and act with his conscience, which isn’t what his supposed to do at this given time. That’s why his behind bars now and became a prisoner of war himself. Peace.

Ethiopia: Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) – The Reign of Terror and Anarchy Under the cover of State of Emergency by the Ethiopian government must stop (22.11.2021)

Ethiopia: State Minister of Peace Dendea Aredo vilification of the USAID goes overboard…

The Prosperity Party and it’s allies are really going into conspiracy theories mode. They are making aid and humanitarian assistance into a war-effort into supporting the enemies of the state. This is the same state that has sent notices to diplomats, embassies, envoys and businesses in Addis Ababa to monitor all their communication equipment. So, that these can be registered and prove how they are using these. That shows that everyone can become criminal and the state conspires about everyone. That’s how paranoid the authorities are at this current time.

The state will prove it even further, as a minister will go after USAID, as the state his a part of has created a man-made famine and weaponized humanitarian assistance to the Tigray Region. There haven’t been a convoy coming to Tigray region for a month now and there been little to none of what the needs are. That is what the state does. The only thing his government does is either ethnic cleansing in Humera region and Western Tigray. If not they are using drones to bomb Mekelle. Therefore, this shows how vicious the regime is.

State Minister of Peace wrote this:

Fortunately, USAID is said to be leaving Ethiopia. The government’s refusal to open the Humera Corridor is the reason. According to Mrs Samantha Power, the leaving is to make the people of Ethiopia sense the force of USA! For Ethiopian patriots, this is huge opportunity! Just two important issues. One, USAID has been in Ethiopia for almost 30 years, but has changed literally nothing! Only created dependency attitude! Hence its leaving cannot negatively affect Ethiopians! In the contrary, it will motivate us to help ourselves” (Taye Dendea Aredo – ‘Bye USAID’ 21.11.2021).

Taye Dendea is a former blogger turned minister. So, he knows the written word and his written articles in defence of the government causes. Therefore, his now just pinning the “Wheat Aid” issues, which Abiy have in the past. Instead of using “wheat aid”, Aredo picks on USAID. It is not USAID fault that FDRE haven’t been developed. That is the central government and the ones in-charge over the years. To blame outside entities to give no agency to the ones in-charge. Just like Abiy have ability to do things and reform. However, he decided to go to war and it has cost him dearly. It has backfired, so now Minister like Aredo have to incriminate others. That is what they do.

The State Minister for Peace should ensure and secure the humanitarian assistance gets to the Tigray region. That way he gets to save lives and help people in dire need. However, he rather blame the USAID for the orders and the state blocking the convoys. The UN drivers and others have been targeted by his government. It says a lot, even with the knowledge of this. He still blames them.

Two, the aim of USAID has been mistakenly understood by many to be supporting the needy. Now it has become clear that USAID is trying to change regimes contrary to the will of the people! It is clearly saying “Because we feed you, we shall elect a government for you”. This is the worst insult for the people! Actually, it shows their ignorance about us! Ethiopians are not the types of people who exchange their freedom & independence for food!” (Taye Dendea Aredo – ‘Bye USAID’ 21.11.2021).

Here is the minister deliberately saying USAID plans to have regime change. They are planning to starve everyone and use the aid to destroy the regime itself. What is striking here … is that earlier the state blocked the aid and didn’t allow the aid in to the needy. Now, the USAID doesn’t want to give to the other needy. Than it is an issue and says a lot about Dendea Aredo. As he wants to save the other regions, but not the one, which have been targeted for over a year now. Amhara region and Afar region have also been hardly hit by the warfare. This is also regions where UN and USAID planned to intervene with humanitarian assistance. The US already donated extra for the efforts this year to USAID to help the additional ones who are suffering. Therefore, wherever the Minister of State is having his sources. It is clearly not in the public channels of information.

The FDRE and PP have decided to go rogue. It isn’t the USAID in this instance. The USAID have programs called OTI and they should cease to have them. These are the questionable that mentions “transition” and used the CIA to change governments in favour of the Washington DC agenda. However, in the case of Ethiopia in 2021. The problems, the structures and the internal conflict has spiralled out of control for PP, because it gambled on the weakness of its enemies. A gamble it is losing. It got nothing with OTI or USAID. Neither is it USAID fault that the UN organizations cannot deliver humanitarian assistance within Ethiopia. That is all Addis Ababa would is blocking and stopping them from operating.

This is why you know the State Minister of Peace is lying and conniving. This is to make the USAID a villain. Yes, the USAID and CIA has a shady history. However, right now… the innocent are dying just so Abiy and his allies could prove a point. The same government that arrests people for their ethnic background as well. So… this man of peace is doing this and still the problem is USAID. That says it all and how pathetic things have become. You can even wonder what Abiy was thinking to appoint a man like this. However, that just shows his crowd and what sort of people he has surrounding him. Peace.

Ethiopia: The Global Society of Tigrai Scholars (GSTS) – An Urgent Call for Strong Action to Prevent Further Atrocities in Ethiopia (20.11.2021)

Ethiopia: Tigray External Affairs Office – Press Statement on the need to expedite distribution of humanitarian Aid (19.11.2021)

IGAD and FAO Call for Urgent Actions to Mitigate the Impacts of Drought Across the Horn of Africa (18.11.2021)

A joint statement by the IGAD Executive Secretary, Dr Workneh Gebeyehu and the FAO Subregional Coordinator for Eastern Africa, Dr Chimimba David Phiri.

NAIROBI, Kenya, November 18, 2021 – Vulnerable communities in the IGAD region continue to experience a complex mix of re-enforcing shocks and stresses that are eroding their resilience to food and nutrition insecurity. As of October 2021, 26 million people were already facing high levels of food insecurity (IPC Phase 3+), according to the Food Security and Nutrition Working Group (FSNWG), which is co-chaired by the Inter-governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Due to the threat of worsening drought conditions, food insecurity will likely rise during the first half of 2022 across the Horn of Africa. Urgent action is therefore required now to safeguard livelihoods, save lives, and prevent possible starvation in some areas.

Drought conditions are already affecting the arid and semi-arid lands of Kenya, southern and central Somalia, and Belg-receiving areas of southern and south-eastern Ethiopia as consecutive poor rainfall seasons have driven below-average crop production, rising cereal prices, poor rangeland conditions, reduced livestock production, and drought-related  animal deaths in many areas.

Moreover, as forecast by the IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC), the start of the current October-December 2021 rainy season has been significantly delayed, with little to no rainfall observed to date in many areas, raising the probability of another poor season. Should this occur, agricultural and pastoral conditions will further deteriorate, causing households already struggling with the effects of multiple, concurrent hazards (climate variability, conflict, COVID-19, and desert locusts) to employ negative coping strategies and reduce their food consumption. This is a major source of concern as food insecurity in the region has historically increased sharply following consecutive poor rainfall seasons.

IGAD Member States continue to work in collaboration with development partners to anticipate and respond to various food security threats and build the resilience of vulnerable communities to recurrent threats and crises. During the desert locust upsurge, for example, the unparalleled support of resource partners and multi-agency coordination averted USD 1.3 billion worth of cereal losses, meeting the cereal requirements of 29.1 million people. Desert locust livelihood recovery support continues for more than 200 000 households.

IGAD and FAO share a long-standing history of successful partnership and collaboration in building the region’s resilience in several areas, including but not limited to: livelihood support to strengthen resilience against droughts; food security information and analysis; early warning and disaster risk management; implementation of cross border actions in close collaboration with the respective communities, local and national authorities; conflict prevention; natural resource management; market access and trade; and capacity building; institutional strengthening and coordination through the IGAD Drought Disaster Resilience and Sustainability Initiative (IDDRSI).

Such resilience-building efforts have significantly improved the ability of households to withstand the impacts of shocks. However, the increased frequency of climatic hazards, combined with the effects of other stressors, is threatening these hard-won gains. It is, therefore, crucial to act now to protect these resilience gains and prevent more people from sliding into food insecurity and malnutrition.

To this end, we must support farmers and herders who are experiencing the impacts of poor harvests, depleted food and animal feedstock, and rising food and water prices. More specifically, IGAD and FAO call for a scale-up of contributions to existing and future Humanitarian Response Plans (HRPs) as the response remains grossly underfunded in the relevant countries. Through rapid, collaborative action by all actors, we can safeguard the lives and livelihoods of communities currently bearing the worsening effects of the drought, while at the same time, protecting households’ longer-term resilience.

Opinion: PP have become PFDJ’s lackey

As their saying goes “there’s no such thing as a free lunch”, their interference on others’ sovereign issues is with clear but rarely said intentions: intention to sell arms; intention to loot national wealth; intention to endorse ideology; intention to keep hegemonic status” (Prosperity Party, 17.11.2021).

At this very moment and time, the ones in power and appointees of the Addis Ababa regime. They are busy undermining anyone questioning their actions or resolve. Nobody is supposed to question or even say anything. They are interfering and acting with vicious ideas. They are helping terrorists and participating in the destruction of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. That is the common message in Ethiopia this days.

It doesn’t matter if it is administrators, mayors, ambassadors or anyone of prominence is all discrediting the United Nations, Humanitarian Organizations, Foreign Companies and everyone with a pulse, which isn’t directly part of the FDRE war effort. That is how things seems these days.

This is the voice and the rhetoric of the Prosperity Party. The party of which reforms and a grand future was bestowed on the FDRE. Nevertheless, by the messages of a “Survival Campaign” and going after anyone who isn’t part of the team.

The same party allows to violated by and work in-coordination with the Eritrean government. The People’s Front for Democracy and Justice has been a very close ally of the Prosperity Party. They have now served in the same war and sent soldiers to it. The PFDJ have sent agents, spies and other actors to work on the behest of the Addis Ababa regime. They are clearly scheming together and the PP isn’t saying anything about this.

They are just questioning the West and everyone who isn’t speaking like them. Since, the beginning of the war. The PP and the FDRE have tried to control the narratives and the spin of war. They have had own “Fact-Checking” programme, as well, as hoping everyone is just reprinting the stories of the government friendly presses. If you don¨t and you leak the wrong the data. You can expect to be arrested or suspended. Even making articles out of Facebook posts of government high-ranking officials can cost a journalist dearly. Therefore, there is no way to win as the goal-post always changes.

The PP and PFDJ are bedfellows. Abiy and Afewerki is the creators of this. The PP wants to follow suit and be as vigilantly towards the rest of world. However, doing that costs and it has consequences. You can scream about being sovereign, but the same government pleaded to save AGOA. The same government is now asking to save Eritrea from further sanctions of the U.S. Treasury. While they are lucky… themselves are not caught up in the targeted sanctions.

The PP is accepting the interference of PFDJ and get violated on the daily by their soldiers. That is what they have done over the last year. There is clear reports and indications of what they have been up-to. It’s not just hearsay at this point. We don’t know the full scale of it, but it is despicable and genocidal. Therefore, the ones who was participating in this has to be held accountable. Their time is coming and we can wonder… when and what point of time it will be. Most likely will be when the pendulum of power has changed.

So, I cannot take it serious when PP speaks of being sovereign and of interference. They have had enough interference and gotten foreign support of their warfare since November 2020. The PP can act different, but that’s insincere and a lie. We know what you did and when the smoke dies down. When the documents leaks and the stories gets told. We will know what went down, as you imported, hired mechanics and whatnot to win. We just know about some drones and minor details. However, most likely the PP have tried to get whatever it could to have an advantage in the war. That’s why at one point, the FDRE was asked to hire army brigades from South Sudan. Therefore, PP needs to revaluate itself and only the fools eats these messages as facts. Peace.