Ethiopia: Tigray External Affairs Office – Press Statement on alleged warehouse looting in Kombolcha (10.12.2021)

Ethiopia: Abiy’s Ethiopian National Dialogue Commission is a meaningless joke

Today, the Council of Ministers and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali after his third official day back-in-office. Has now issued a statement and proclamation of establishing the Ethiopian National Dialogue Commission, which will work for a national consensus and a common ground on national issues through inclusive dialogue and consultation.

If you read this in 2021, it’s hard to believe the Prosperity Party and it’s allies will open an inclusive dialogue with anyone. Abiy is the 7th King and the one who is a ruthless ruler who wants to have consolidated all power by any means possible. The Prime Minister has launched and established an ‘Ministry of Peace’ but still waged a bloody war. Therefore, launching a Dialogue Commission seems pointless at this point.

The ones believing that he will talk is fools. The PM will only trick the ones he needs to consult and find ways to silence later. This man has only used ‘Medemer’ to benefit him and his allies. There isn’t a unified idea or ideals. The state is working directly with Amhara nationalists and supporters their causes. The PP and the PM works closer to Asmara, than everyone else.

Abiy is maybe able to fool the ones who has bought everything else he has sold since he took power. They will believe that is legit as well. While journalists, Tigrayan ethnic people and opposition leaders detained. The ones who dares to question PP and the PM is in trouble.

I doubt the Oromo leadership will be released, neither do I trust he will talk to others who is adversaries. It would be good to see Mohammed Jawar, Eskinder Nega and Bekele Gerba in the dialogue, but I cannot see that happening. Neither see the leadership of Tigray or the ones in Ogaden.

The PM will use NAMA and Ezema. I cannot see how he would talk even with Balderas. Therefore, this Commission is only for the facade and not a reality. There is no prospect or real incentives to make a difference, because that would mean that Abiy would humble himself. The PM isn’t the character to give way or trying to find measures with others. He just want to win and doesn’t care how he does it.

This launch and establishment will be as fake and fraudulent as the ‘Ministry of Peace’ which has been more active in supporting war; than actually making peace or supporting causes to create peace. Therefore, Abiy is too late with this one… it is not believable and only the naive will buy into this cheap trick. Peace.

Ethiopia: Oromo Liberation Front/Army (OLF-OLA High Command Press Release) – No Power under the Sun can stop the Oromo Struggle for Freedom! (10.12.2021)

Ethiopia: Oromo Federalist Congress-Global Support Group (OFC-GSG) – The current official campaign, declared as ‘Zemecha Menelik’ that barbarically massacred the Karayyu Abba Gada and his team in East Shewa zone is the second coming of the orginal operation by Menelik II in the late 1800s (08.12.2021)

Ethiopia: Abiy have returned to his office [and bashes himself in glory]

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali have returned to his office after a two-week counter-offensive, which has resulted in a massive advance for the Tripartite Alliance in the conflict. The amount of territory captured in Amhara region and closing the Afar region for the Tigray Defence Forces (TDF) says it all. The TDF-OLA alliance have had set-backs and they say they have strategically retreated. We don’t know what the game-plan or the reasons for this, but currently the Tripartite Alliance is steamrolling ahead. Because, of that … it might give reasons for the PM to return and demote the acting PM Demeke Mekonnen for a while.

“In this case, I have finished the first chapter and I have returned to office for a while, today and in the future, our enemies will continue to fight, leaving the path of hatred and hope, and choosing the path of love and peace” (Abiy, 08.12.2021).

He has finished the first chapter, but the PM was on the final stages of Operation Law Enforcement in the November 2020. So, we don’t know how long this chapter is or if this is just a ploy to sell more hope to the masses. Since, there been so many offensives and so many endings of this war. Therefore, it is hard to take this man seriously in December 2021.

“Our desire is always peace and love. We have been working hard for the implementation of the implementation of our need for Ethiopia’s unity to be protected and prosperous. But by not accepting the peaceful alternative that we have been presented repeatedly, by stepping out of our new political culture, by not counting the patience that was made to prevent the wrong and wrongdoings, by trusting the mouth and support of some foreign enemies, the terrorist TPLF was with the tax embezzles and causing danger to our country. Those who didn’t know Ethiopia until it seems that things are over and over were left with fear and fear. There were internal and external bodies who tried to scare us, afraid of us. Our child was a lost, and our pit felt like it was broken. Only those who know the secret of Ethiopia’s victory, it was a nature that they stood with perseverance till the end” (Abiy, 08.12.2021).

Abiy continuously and as a routine tries to sound like a man of peace, but we know by now that a lying warlord. The PM is acting like he wanted peace, but he was the one who issued the war and prepared for it. He coordinated and prepared the armies, militias and participated with the Eritrean forces to invade Tigray region. That was clear, just like it was clear that he wanted to assassinate the TPLF leadership in 2018. Because they weren’t part of the plan to consolidate all power within the Prosperity Party, which is something the almighty uncrowned 7th king will not mention.

“According to our plan, we have completed the first chapter, “Operation for National Unity in Diversity” in two weeks. You have made a wonderful story to tell our children by the sacrifices you made by the military forces, the regional special forces, the members of the federal police and the local militia and armed forces. All those of you who are in the middle of the field, you have seen with your own eyes that you are the precious wealth of Ethiopia” (Abiy, 08.12.2021).

The Survival Campaign has been renamed and become a pledge for unity, but a unity for who? The ones behind the banner of Abiy or the ones who fights against fascism? Because, the state itself is still at war with itself and has plenty of region enemies. As well, as the state has foreign entities aligned with itself and they are willing to do the combats for them. These are the ones violating its territory and tuft. That should worry the PM, but he is just busy going after the Tigray and not considering the other enemies he has on his soil fighting his battles, which is a sword that he in the end might not control. As the Asmara and Eritrean forces follows the command of Afewerki and not Abiy. He must be loyal to them and also just follow suit when the Amhara militia “Fano” does it’s work across the Republic.

“Especially during the survival campaign, we should continue making the unity of Ethiopians our wealth till the end of the world. In rural and city, in the country and abroad, in front and in front of our door, we are achieving one goal. We are hanging her from a place where no one can stand up and bring down Ethiopia. Let’s defend divisive ideas so that our unity can be developed. Let’s stand against the patriots of victory. Let’s read the faces of those who want to make things easier for us in our struggle. Let’s shame the opponents who are trying to make the victory we got together by fighting together and getting together. Ethiopia is the winner. We will not accept anything less than this” (Abiy, 08.12.2021).

He wants to string everyone along and be a big, unified group, alas he has undermined and sought after the ones not following his plans. These being the leadership of Oromia, Tigray or Ogaden. This man can easily ambush and silent them. So, these ideals and “medemer” theories are only for the books, because these words are hallowed and the foolish trust it. At one point he might bow to you, but in the next one he will shoot you. That’s the kind of man Abiy is and he has shown that to the world. Therefore, he needs the recognition not only in Ethiopia, but everywhere else.

“Even though the test we faced has caused us many difficulties and problems, it has brought us opportunities that we can’t get. Instead of the challenges we faced, we will focus on our opportunities and make Ethiopia a strong country that is capable of in all fields. Ethiopia would like to thank those who stood with us during our trials and supported us in the world square. I believe that we will soon return to our development agenda with full strength and to build Ethiopia on a firm foundation” (Abiy, 08.12.2021).

It is a fact and truth this was difficult for him. There was little to no positive signs. I don’t know if the expertise and merchants of death from abroad that saved his campaign. Because, there was little doubt or real optimism in the start of November 2021. The need for drones and other technical equipment has surely salvaged his campaign in combination with the usage of Eritrean troops. Therefore, the ENDF is a weaken entity, but the advances is boosting the PM’s ego. That is proven now. He can conclude another chapter and go back to the office.

Though, he has been to fresh and clean to be long in the dust, the dirt and in the frontlines. That’s Hollywood or Nollywood, but not warfare. A man who’s on the battlefield don’t have a clean fatigue but looking like he tasted the dust or dirt. That’s the just way life treat you and it’s unforgiving on the frontline.

Abiy can look like he has succeeded. Just like it looked the same when he was on the plane and ready to be the King of Mekelle. However, time will tell, if this is all a façade or the TDF have really lost grounds. At this very moment it is hard to tell, and you can just wonder… since this war is far from over. Peace.

Ethiopia: Ogaden – World Food Programme and Somali Regional State – Joint press statement on impacts of drought in Somali Region (07.12.2021)

Ethiopia: World Food Programme (WFP) – Millions could fall deeper into hunger as WFP faces unprecedented funding Gap in Ethiopia (06.12.2021)

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is facing a major funding shortfall over the next six months threatening its ability to meet the critical food and nutrition needs of millions of food insecure Ethiopians and refugees.

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, December 6, 2021 – WFP has a funding gap of US$579 million to deliver life-saving food assistance and livelihood support activities to 12 million people in Ethiopia over the next six months. This includes US$316 million that is urgently needed to deliver emergency food and nutrition assistance to 3.7 million people in northern Ethiopia over the next six months.

The Government of Ethiopia, WFP, and other partners are struggling to alleviate the country’s hunger crisis. The extended combined effects of conflict, drought, flooding, desert locust invasions, market disruptions and high food prices, and the COVID-19 pandemic have left an estimated 13.6 million people food insecure.

“Timely and complete food and nutrition support is critical to alleviating the suffering of millions across Ethiopia. In addition to the severe challenges facing conflict-impacted populations in many regions, we are deeply concerned about climate-related vulnerability and food insecurity in dry lowland areas,” says WFP Representative and Country Director, Dr. Steven Were Omamo.

“There is food available in the country. But if WFP doesn’t receive commitments of new funding in the coming weeks, we will be unable to purchase and mobilise this food to prevent millions from falling into severe hunger and hardship by early next year,” warns Dr. Omamo.

Record-high levels of acute food insecurity are expected in Ethiopia through at least mid-2022, with northern, southern, and south eastern parts of the country of highest concern, according to the latest Ethiopia Food Security Outlook (FEWSNET, October 2021 – May 2022).

In northern Ethiopia, the food security situation in all three regions of Afar, Amhara and Tigray is already critical and will worsen if conflict-induced interruptions to humanitarian aid continue. The impacts of ongoing conflict – including continued disruption to trade flows and minimal economic activity – will come on top of already significant losses to food and income.

Ethiopia’s southern and south eastern pastoral areas are facing a third consecutive below-average rainfall season, with an intensifying drought causing significant livestock losses, wiping out fragile livelihoods, and worsening food insecurity through mid-2022.

International donor partners have stepped up and committed more than ever before to WFP’s response in Ethiopia, but the level of funding has not kept pace with rising needs. Funding shortages have already forced ration cuts for some 710,000 refugees across the country and 2.4 million food insecure people in Somali region. Refugees are now receiving 60 percent of the required kilocalories per person/day while food insecure families in Somali region are receiving 10 percent less cereal per person, per month.

WFP’s staff are guided by the principles of neutrality, impartiality, humanity, and independence. WFP is working throughout Northern Ethiopia with the Federal government and regional authorities to reach populations affected by the conflict, wherever possible, and calls on all parties to respect the organization’s assets, staff and commodities, and access to areas of need.

Ethiopia: It seems like the TDF-OLA advances has vanished…

The Tripartite Alliance, the Ethiopian National Defence Force (ENDF), Eritrean Defence Force and Amhara Special Forces/ Amhara Para-Military Group “Fano” have in this ‘counteroffensive’ ensured the defeat and taken huge leaps in stopping the tracks of Oromo Liberation Army and the Tigray Defence Forces. They have also taken grounds kept by the Agew Liberation Front. Therefore, the OLA-TDF union has gotten stung by the Tripartite Alliance.

Since, the TDF-OLA advances was going towards Debre Birhan, the joint forces had been able to go as far as Debre Sina. They had also advanced into the Molale in North Shewa and Mehal Meda in Menz Gera Midir woreda. That was reported as late as 22nd November 2021. Since then things have turned ugly and the TDF-OLA have lost on most fronts.

This ‘counteroffensive’ have been successful, as North Wollo and Lalibela have been taken over by the by Tripartite Alliance. These have gotten as far as the Kombolcha and Dessie. These places was officially taken over by the TDF-OLA on the 31st October 2021. Now, by the time of December 2021 these gains seems to be backfiring.

In the Amhara region and in Afar region the TDF-OLA gains seems to have vanished. In the Oromia region the OLA still have taken control over vast areas. While some places are lost and the OLA has gone back to the wilderness, as it did before. Therefore, the war will be prolonged and the damage it does will not be swift.

There was lots of speculations early in November about reaching Addis Ababa. However, at that time the Tripartite Alliance was losing territories and strategic towns outside of the Tigray region. Now, the TDF-OLA union seems shaky, but the TDF says it’s strategical retreat. Nevertheless, that is hard to prove and the gains have been really quick.

Some will praise the Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali, because all of this happened after he went to the frontline. Still, there is reports of usage of EDF in ENDF uniforms and that there is also support of foreign forces with technical expertize and military equipment, which have given the Tripartite Alliance an advantage. As the TDF-OLA is more ground based and guerrilla warfare. As the ENDF and allies has been more conventional warfare with mechanical divisions and an air-force to back-it up. Therefore, the Tripartite Alliance have taken most of the former advances back.

If the Tripartite Alliance really continues to gain like this. Than nobody should shocked, if they are able to take back Weldiya as well. However, that is only speculation, as there is now words of movement towards Komblocha and Dessie. That is really the clear message.

The TDF-OLA union is shaky now. Unless, these is tactical retreats and the parties are well aware of the consequences. To give the other army a sudden new reach. While also securing the logistics of a stretched armies of the TDF-OLA. Which is very obvious here. Just like there was early misuse of advances within Afar region and closing of the cargo routes to Djibouti. The call for the fall of Addis Ababa in early November 2021 was also stated to early.

This ‘counteroffensive’ has worked just like ‘Operation Alula’ worked earlier in the year. We just have to follow and see how this pans out. However, there is a media-blackout and there is lack of intelligence, as the Nationwide State of Emergency has forbidden leaking information from the front-lines. Therefore, we never know and just have to follow things with gut instinct and never taken the first reported tweets as facts. Since, the state media and the others are spreading their messages too. Peace.

Ethiopia: Sidama National Liberation Front – PP’s Sidama Agents and Federal Forces Imprison The Sidama’s Intellectual – Human Rights Defender (03.12.2021)

The Sidama’s formidable Human Rights Defender assistant Professor, ‘Tesema Elias Shole’ has been abruptly taken out of his house in the evening of 02 December 2021 around 09:30 pm local time by the federal and regional security forces. His kids who were on his arm during security’s storming of their house, left extremely distressed and traumatised as they do not know what was happening to their beloved father. His whereabouts is so far unknown. It is believed his accusers are Abiy’s and Amhara elites’ Sidama messengers who are trading by the blood and bones of the Sidama nation.
Assistant professor Tesema Elias Shole is one of the Sidama’s remaining True Ejjeettos from among the previous Sidama Ejjeetto leadership. The rest of the previous Ejjeetto become the subjects of bribe as they reverted to supporting the Sidama’s historic enemies- currently fighting for territorial expansion in Tigray, Oromia and in various parts of the empire- under the pretext of keeping Ethiopia united – whilst playing to the contrary as they shake the foundation of the empire that is begging to be remoulded in the manner it addresses the interests of its entire stakeholders.
The Sidama Ejjeetto and the nation’s five decades old liberation organisation were systematically disabled by bribing its leaders. The SLM chair and the other executives were handpicked and ordered to disband the SLM instead joining the PP. The Sidama’s an historic and worst quislings joined nation’s historic enemies to comply with the expansionists’ agenda in an occupied Sidama land. The Sidama Ejjeetto also become the subject of such bribes by leaving their principle behind to join the Sidama’s state president who has been appointed by Amhara elites to do their dirty job in Sidama land. By doing so the regime has ensured the silencing of the opposing voices in Sidama. Apparently, the Sidama land and its capital city became Amhara elites’ second capital after Bahirdar.
The remaining voices for the Sidama nation in Sidama land are now a few intellectuals who are openly voicing their concern on behalf of their nation by rejecting the imposed rule on Sidama’s hardly earned state. One of those true sons and daughters of the nation is assistant professor Tesema Elias Shole. He has been arrested and released several times and repeatedly threatened and intimidated by the Sidama state’s and federal security apparatuses simply because he has rejected their offer to be the slave of the criminal regime committing genocide on its own citizens by inviting foreign fighters. Tesema currently teaches in Hawassa university, School of Law, where he is an assistant professor.
We never forget for a second that the sons and daughters of the Sidama nation have shed their precious blood to unwillingly snatch their rights to self-rule from the hands of unionist dictator and his advisers who are all Amhara elites. The Sidama state that is taken away from the hands of the nation by the unionist gangs is the preciously earned state. Those who have sacrificed their precious lives is not for our enemies to reclaim it from our hands.
Over 247 lives were sacrificed between June 2018 and July 18, 2019, alone (more than those who were killed during EPRDF’s 27 years rule); and over 5000 Sidama were imprisoned during the harrowing struggle of the nation for a statehood. Tesema’s and other Sidama Ejjeetto’s roles were enormous.
Therefore, the Sidama nation of all walks of life must demand Tesema’s unconditional and urgent release. Finally, we urge the Sidama’s Amahra messengers who are trading by the nation’s name to unconditionally release Tesema Elias Shole and all prisoners unlawfully incarcerated in Sidama land. The ongoing imprisonments of the Tigray civilians all over the empire must be stopped; and all nations and nationalities must unite in rejecting the resurrection of fascist king Menelik II’s ideology and politics of slavery. The Sidama nation must rise against the brutal and fascist regime dehumanising the subjects to remain in power.
Unconditionally Release Professor Tesema and The Rest Of Prisoners Incarcerated In Sidama Land!!
December 03, 2021

Ethiopia: Oromo Legacy Leadership and Advocacy Association (OLLAA) – OLLAA Condems the Killing of Karayu Religious Leaders and Civilians, and the continued bombings in Oromia (03.12.2021)