Ethiopia: TDF mobilizing around Chercher in attempt to invade Zone 4 in Afar region

“Reports coming in indicate that Tigray forces today have been moving heavily armed contingents to the direction of Zone 4 in Afar Region. It is reported that a force with heavy weapons passed through the town Chercher heading to the direction of Zone 4 in Afar” (Dahlion, 23.08.2022).

So, after days of mobilizing troops on both sides of the borders of the Tigray region. The Ethiopian National Defence Force (ENDF) has encircled the Tigray region from Amhara (North Wollo), Western Tigray, Eritrea and within Afar region as well.

The latest report is that the Tigray Defence Force (TDF) is planning to retaliate or answer the new offensive. They are heading in the direction of Zone 4 in Afar from Chercher. Raphael Tewodros also reports this. So, the state media is also saying it.

This here shows how the war is entering the North Ethiopia again. After the last week bombing of Dedebit. While the reports of ENDF mobilizing along the border as well. Therefore, this is certainly a well planned attempt now.

If not trying to out manoeuvre the ENDF. The TDF had a hard time in their last offensive in Afar region. As they were struggling to compete with the Afar Special Regional Forces. I wouldn’t think it would go any better now. That’s why you have to wonder… why they are deciding this manoeuvre now. Peace.

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.

Opinion: The Afar region is a victim of the policy of the besieged Tigray

“There is good news and bad news. The good news is that humanitarian truce that was agreed in March- April is holding and has allowed us to bring in humanitarian supplies….[]The bad news is that after 20 months of War, the Amhara and Afar situation is not getting better” – WFP Country representative for Northern Ethiopia, Adrian Van Der Kaap (Yesuf Endris – ‘WFP calls on Int’l organizations to support Amhara, Afar IDPs’ 04.08.2022, Ethiopian Press Agency).

We do need more corridors, we need the humanitarian truce to continue and we expect that it will continue. But, we need to open more coroners. Of course, we need more funds as we burn our money

The humanitarian assistance and the man-made famine, which has been created over the months of blockade. A blockade of not only the most basic humanitarian assistance, which is food and basic necessities. The Tigray region has not had banking services, internet or telecommunication. Therefore, the Tigray has been put in a horrible place of starvation and lack of medicines. That sort of actions makes the international partners rally more for help and get the Federal Government to stop the blockade before it’s too late.

That is something everyone must understand. The policy of doing this to a war-torn region and a battlefront of the state. It is showing what sort of ideology and sort of retribution the state does to the ones that has fallen out of favours. The Tigray region has become a burden and a target of the state. To think otherwise is naive after the start of the conflict and launch of the “Law Enforcement Operation” in November 2020. The months of blockade and the stoppage of humanitarian assistance will hurt for years to come. The amount of damage, pain and suffering is unknown.

With that in mind… the news of people struggling, living with barely nothing and starving in Afar region. Is yet another tragedy happening in Ethiopia. The Afar region is a victim of the state sponsored conflict in the North. The Afar people is being put in between the battlefield and on the front-line of the conflict at the same time. They are middle-men who are seeing the convoys of humanitarian assistance going to Tigray. That is a necessary thing, but they could have seen this coming. The damage is already done and the humanitarian organisations struggling to meet the vast needs in Tigray alone. A sort of game of who is the hurt most and who is bleeding the most this week. Which isn’t fair to anyone and that’s why Afar feels betrayed.

The ones that betrayed Afar isn’t the World Food Programme or any United Nations organisations. No, it is the Prosperity Party that made Tigray suffer to a level, which makes it impossible for the organizations to bring enough to needy elsewhere. They don’t have the manpower, the warehouses with stocks of food or equipment in general. The time laps and the lost periods are now costing. The cash-strapped organizations will be put to a test. When the people of Afar is also feeling the pain of what the Federal Government put into play in Tigray.

No one deserves this and everyone should know that. No one should starve, no have food or shelter. That is a need every human being has. No matter what tribe, religion or creed. People need food and shelter. Afar people needs that and the people of Tigray needs it too.

This is just a proof that the WFP and anyone else who supports humanitarian assistance in Ethiopia. Needs to get more help and donations. There is need for bigger pledges and the bureaucracy of the government has to open up. The game of blocking and stifling the attempts has to be over. Unless, they want this to run rapid and get closer to capital. Because, the more you play this vicious circle. The more people are dying and the more innocent lives lost. More pain and suffering, which could have been avoided. This is a deadly game and it’s been coordinated to a T from the leaders of the Republic. That should be known and the Afar people deserves better. So, does also the people of Tigray. It is just a sinister plot, which has ramifications that we couldn’t see in advance. Because, who knew the Prime Minister and his associates would be this cold and lack of heart for his own citizens. Peace.

Ethiopia: Joint Press Release from Salsay Weyane Tigray (SaWeT), National Congress of Great Tigray (Baytona) and Tigray Independence Party (TIP) Trading-Off Genocide for Geo-Political Interests has a Far Reaching Consequence! (19.07.2022)

Ethiopia: Somali Regional Democratic Alliance (S.R.D.A) – An Open Communique to whom it may be all Concern about the actual Political Turmoil of Ethiopia (16.07.2022)

Ethiopia: Global Society of Tigray Scholars and Professionals (GSTS) – Tigray Urgently Needs Fertilizer, Improved Seeds, and Chemicals to Avert Catastrophic Famine Next Year (15.07.2022)

Ethiopia: Oromo Legacy Leadership and Advocacy Association (OLLAA) – Attack against Civilians Reported in Jile Dhumuga District, Wollo Oromia Special Zone (12.07.2022)

Ethiopia: The UNOPS and World Bank funds will not go to the Tigray region… [if we have learned anything from previous history]

“Addis Ababa, July 12, 2022 (FBC) –Ethiopia has signed a third-party implementation agreement with the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) for the implementation of the World Bank-financed recovery project in Tigray. According to the Ministry of Finance, the agreement was signed today by Ahmed Shide, Ethiopia’s Minister of Finance and Werknesh Mekonen, representing the UNOPS. The project is part of the government’s national recovery program financed by the World Bank with the name Response-Recovery-Resilience for Conflict-Affected Communities in Ethiopia project” (Fana Broadcasting Compnay – ‘Ethiopia, UNOPS Sign Agreement For Implementation Of Recovery Project In Tigray’ 12.07.2022).

It is hard to believe that the World Bank and UNOPS wants to sign an agreement with the Federal Government based in Addis Ababa. It is like the World Bank and UNOPS haven’t followed the acts of Addis Ababa and the regime itself. This isn’t the first rodeo and they should have known better. These funds will most likely not get to the ones in need in Tigray region. Neither will there be a will to implement it.

The Prosperity Party, the former consolidated parties from the former party coalition Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), which left out the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). Who didn’t want to participate and be part of the new federal or national party. Therefore, the war in Tigray happened after long time of mistrust and after a local government election in September 2020. Which was just two months ahead of the start of the “Operation Law Enforcement” or prolonged warfare in Tigray. Parts of Tigray is still invaded and controlled by the Tripartite Alliance like the Western Tigray. While the Humanitarian Truce haven’t accordingly allowed humanitarian assistance to levels of need. That’s why 13 million people in the Northern Ethiopia is in a dire need of food security. Secondly, that is a man-made famine and created by the blockade, which has been a willed policy.

That’s why it’s striking that the World Bank and UNOPS signs off to this agreement. The Addis Ababa government have blocked the utilities, frozen banking and communications to the Tigray region. There was years and still no news of government funding to the regional government of Tigray. That will mean that there been no funds from Addis Ababa to Mekelle.

This was reported from 2018 to 2020 that the Regional Government of Tigray didn’t receive funds from the Federal Government. Secondly, the World Bank themselves financed a development project called: “Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP)”. It was reported that the FDRE got $66m USD to PSNP designated to Tigray in September 2020, but was blocked from the House of Federation (HoF). Therefore, with this knowledge… will the same happen again?

So, reading that the World Bank is funding another project and the RRRCAC today. It seems like a nightmare. These funds will not help Tigray… if so only parts of it. This is a life-line to the Addis Ababa government. They are using the conflict to replenish funds and the World Bank is willing to fund them. The state is in disarray… and there is so many regions that is bleeding. The Tigray region is war-torn and in a man-made famine.

The Federal Government have been punishing Tigray region continuously… just as this agreement was signed. There was reports of thousands of ethnic Tigrayans arrested for no other reason their ethnicity. That’s why I have hard time believing these funds will go to help or redevelop Tigray. The current leadership rather wants Tigray to burn or die. That’s their policy and how they worked over the last few years. Have a hard time that will change over night.

That will be lie. Just like all the meetings promising humanitarian assistance and opening of besieged region totally to humanitarian organizations. Something that is yet to happen, even when millions are possibly starving or lacking food security. Therefore, this news is tragic. That the World Bank and UNOPS are duped by the leaders of Addis Ababa. Peace.

Ethiopia: 20 million people are facing food insecurity and 13 million of them is in the Northern Ethiopia

“Over 20 million people are estimated to be food insecure in the country, including an estimated 13 million people northern Ethiopia” (OCHA, 07.07.2022).

Things are dire in Ethiopia. Several of regions and zones are in dire need of humanitarian assistance. This being in Ogaden (Somali), Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples’ Region (SNNP), South-West, Afar, Amhara and Tigray regions. This really in nearly all corners of the Republic.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has been reporting about the situation for so long. However, now it’s not only dropping knowledge on the Northern regions where the conflict has been going on since November 2020. The state has created a man-made-famine in Tigray. As the conflict and besieged region is really hit. That’s why the 13 million people of the 20 million lacking food security is from there.

OCHA reports further:

“The drought impact has worsened and expanded over the last few months. At least 8.1 million people are estimated to be affected across Somali (3.5 million), Oromia (3.4 million), SNNP (1.1 million) and South-West (200,000 people) regions, including more than 7 million people requiring food assistance, and more than 4 million people needing water assistance. At least 334,000 drought affected people who have the means to travel have also migrated since October last year, leaving behind their elderly and the sick family members. These numbers are expected to be revised upwards once assessments of additional areas affected by the drought are completed, particularly in Afar, which will be included in the new iteration of the Drought Response Plan” (OCHA, 07.07.2022).

“Lack of funding has resulted in reduction of people targeted in some regions, distribution of an incomplete food basket, and applying rations cuts.

Lack of access has resulted in irregular food distributions in Western Oromia (East and West Wollega); Wag Hamra Zone in Amhara and Western Zone in Tigray” (OCHA, 07.07.2022).

This here is not going well for the UN organization and humanitarian organizations coming with aide. When OCHA is saying it lacks funding. As the amount of people needing food is rising. This is a negative spiral.

It isn’t the fault of the UN or the humanitarian organizations that this is happening. The Prosperity Party and the regime itself has created over time. The issues and lack of food security is out of many reasons. The drought is happening because of the climate and lack of rain, which you cannot fault the government for. However, the state is at fault for blocking humanitarian assistance and making it impossible to deliver the goods to the ones in need.

Another major factor is the insecurity and the warfare that is happening in the Republic. The use of armed forces and law enforcement is creating this. While there is a liberation forces working for their people and their regions. This is all creating the trouble and the lack of food security across the Republic.

Ethiopia is hurting. The Prime Minister and his government is clearly not up for speed. That’s because warfare matters more than helping or governing the people in need. Peace.

Ethiopia: Oromo Legacy Leadership and Advocacy Association (OLLAA) – US Senator Merkley writes to State Department regarding the Human Rights of the Oromo (08.07.2022)