Ethiopia: Abiy deserves a medal for creating famine and hunger… [and not the opposite]

“In a ceremony hosted by UNFAO in Rome, PM Abiy Ahmed Ali has been awarded the prestigious FAO Agricola Medal for his vision, leadership and commitment to food security and nutrition as well as the pursuit of innovative solutions in wheat self-sufficiency” (Office of the Prime Minister – Ethiopia, 28.01.2024).

The news over the weekend that the Ethiopian Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed Ali was awarded an award by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), a specialized agency under the United Nations for his commitments to food security and nutrition is appalling. It is like the UN Agency, FAO never have read or followed other UN Agencies and their struggles to even feed the hungry people of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE).

Abiy isn’t a guy who has prospered by feeding people. No, he and his bureaucracy has blocked humanitarian assistance, ensured man-made famine and created hostile regions where the agricultural sector has been destroyed. That’s what Abiy has fought for and built over the years. Yes, he has propaganda shots with some wheat fields and wants to speak of self-sufficient nation, but he needs the aide and the public needs it too to survive at this point.

OCHA has in the recent SITUATION Report dated from the 10th of January 2024 saying this: “The Ethiopian government and humanitarian partners are stepping up life-saving efforts in the most affected areas across the country despite severe resource constraints and operational challenges, including active hostilities in some areas. Out of 20.1 million people(7) targeted for food and cash assistance at the start of 2023, over 18 million people received food assistance at least once between January and October 2023; about 7.3 million most prioritized people were also reached between May and November, more specifically, 3.7 million people with food and cash support from the Government and 3.6 million people in Shock Response Safety Net Program supported by the World Bank. Since mid-December, with the resumption of the USAID-funded food assistance, partners have provided food aid and cash support to approximately six million people in the Amhara, Tigray, Somali, and Afar regions. Some US$8 million was allocated in November under the Ethiopian Humanitarian Fund (EHF), for response in Amhara Region. Nevertheless, deepening food, nutrition, water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), protection, health, agriculture, and livelihoods needs dwarf these efforts as pockets of similar needs can be found in Oromia, Southern and Southwest regions. Partners continue to call on donors to provide resources to enable an urgent large-scale multisector response to reach close to 4 million people in the first half of 2024” (OCHA, 10.01.2024).

When you have this sort of OCHA Situation Report dated the 10th of January and on the 28th of January the other UN Agency FAO awarded him an award on their behalf. That I just insincere or weird.

Is the FAO as an agency eaten up by the propaganda of the FDRE entities? Because do they believe what the government news organizations is spewing? Since there other news and worrying signs across the republic.

When millions of civilians are struggling with malnutrition and hunger… it isn’t fitting to give that leader accolades to ensure food security. The numbers aren’t getting better, and more regions are getting hit. This being Ogaden (Somali region), Oromia, Amhara, and Tigray to mention a few. That is huge part of the Republic and doesn’t FAO see this?

Who in their right mind awards someone who is known for weaponizing humanitarian aide during conflict? It is like FAO haven’t followed or cared about the policies that the Prosperity Party really has. The FAO is either naïve or bought to believe the narratives that is told by ruling regime of Ethiopia.

Abiy will thrive on this one and bash in glory. He is the warlord that was rewarded a peace prize. Now his the one that caused hunger, starvation and famine, but rewarded with a award saying he worked for food security. The ones dying and struggling must wonder what is wrong in this world. As the diabolical institutions are awarding the devil the title of a saint. They are saying the devious leader is the aspiring one and the one to celebrate.

The one that is behind and organizer of the trouble of the republic. That guy is getting accolades and being cherished abroad. While people are living in dire straits with no sorts of mechanisms saving them. The nation has no interests in safeguarding them or even trying to conceal their acts. Instead, they blame others or their enemies. Peace.

Ethiopia: Permanent Mission of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia to the United Nations lettter to the President of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) – (26.01.2024)

Ethiopia: Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) – The irresponsible act of the Army of the Prosperity Party in Oromiya is Tantamount to Crime against Humanity (23.01.2024)

Somaliland: Ministry of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation – Government of the Republic of Somaliland Reiterates its Firm Opposition to any External Interference (22.01.2024)

Ethiopia: Salsay Weyane Tigray – Weekly press release from Salsay Weyane Tigray (22.01.2024)

Interngovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD): Communique of the 42nd Extraordinary Assembly of IGAD Heads of State and Government, Entebbe, Republic of Uganda (18.01.2024)

Somalia: Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation – Press Statement (18.01.2024)

Ethiopia: Ministry of Foreign Affairs letter to Djibouti’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (13.01.2024)

Ethiopia: Abiy to trigger Mogadishu even further…

“#Ethiopian PM Abiy Ahmed is expected to visit Berbera this week to finalise the MoU between Ethiopia and #Somaliland over port access and recognition. Demeke Mekonnen, Deputy PM, has already arrived in Hargeisa. Abiy will be the first sitting Ethiopian leader to visit Somaliland” (Sahan Research, 15.01.2024).

“SOURCES: Ethiopian PM expected to visit Berbera this week to finalize the agreement his government made with Somaliland on Jan 1. A delegation led by Ethiopia’s Deputy Prime Minister has arrived in Hargeisa today to plan for Abiy Ahmed’s visit” (Garowe Online, 15.01.2024).

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali and the FDRE is continuing on the path to access to the Red Sea and stop being a landlocked nation. That is being done by the agreement made with Hargeisa or the Republic of Somaliland to lease certain amount of territories or port in the nation. Therefore, Abiy is continuing to play with fire.

The lawmakers and the rulers of Mogadishu have reacted to the MoU and said the deal is “null and void”. They have enacted laws stopping the agreement between the Ethiopian government and the Somaliland government. Which are now not only challenged, but tested by the leadership of Addis Ababa.

PM Abiy is willing to destroy diplomatic ties and continuity of amicable relations with Somalia over a favorable agreement with Somaliland. That’s what his doing and this will cause a friction between Addis and Mogadishu. While Hargeisa gets a validation and awaiting the recognition it needs as a separatist republic from the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS). Somaliland hopes the FDRE gives what the FGS will not give them. Therefore, the sale of territory and getting recognition is more important to the leaders of Hargeisa.

This is about sovereigns and who has the rights to act. It is also about old grievances and involvement, as Mogadishu feels scorn and Hargeisa says “back-off”. While Addis are an external force in it all doing the bidding for own selfish interests. Meanwhile everyone see’s what is at stake and the other IGAD nations should look how this one plays out.

The IGAD seems like a fish out of water and lack control of the matter. The planned meetings and dialogue will lose all steam if Abiy travels to Somaliland. Then the talks with Somalia is over before it happens. Because why should they talk to a man that defies them and doesn’t respect them?

Abiy has already decided, and he needs to “win” this as his “losing” on the home front. There is little to cheer for at home and the FDRE is weaken by years of internal conflict. He needs a victory to salvage the hurt. That’s what he does, and this is an easy one. Even if he destroys all relations with Somalia and becomes an enemy of Mogadishu. That’s the outcome here and it’s tragic really.

This here is a detriment to the relations in the IGAD nations and at the Horn of Africa. As Abiy endanger them all over his own pride and glory. He wants to rule over land, air, and sea. That’s why he does this to enlarge his throne and create a massive legacy. Alas, his also possibly creating another conflict and playing with more fire.

By visiting Hargeisa and Berbera this week… his putting more gasoline on the fire and doing it willingly too. That’s the reality here and he won’t mind because this is a flawed victory for him. Peace.

Ethiopia: Tigray – TIP sounds the alarm on the rising hunger…

We have also lost more than a million lives due to the open genocidal war declared against us, let alone the destruction of property in our homes and villages. This is not a number but our brother, sister, father, mother, children … but our person, dignity and identity in general. Following this, we as a people and as a country are in immense heartache and physical misery. Moreover, the drought and famine we are facing is killing the lives of infants, pregnant women, mothers and the elderly. And there can never be anything more heartbreaking than seeing our country Tigray fall into question marks of existence or non-existence due to the open genocidal war declared against us, cruel drought and famine” (Tigray Independence Party, 13.01.2024).

The conditions of the Tigray Region haven’t become any better since the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (CoH) in Pretoria, South Africa. The Tigray Interim Regional Administration haven’t the mandate or the power to make a difference. The Interim Administration has called out the Federal Government and the International Community to help them out. However, that has all fallen on deaf ears.

Now the Opposition Party, Tigray Independence Party (TIP) has released their Press Release called “Hunger knows no condition!!” and what it says is tragic. The reports from the Tigray region should worry anyone and that after the brutal war that was fought by the Tripartite Alliance against the Tigrayan people. Therefore, what TIP is saying is a sign of a worrying trend and a cycle of deaths that is never ceasing. Now the people aren’t dying out of conflict, but out of starvation/hunger. That’s a result of the warfare and of the lack of re-building of the regional state.

TIP says: “The “Tigray Emergency Response (TER)” task force has been established as a crucial national task force. We cannot overcome the terrible famine that has been looming over us since early November. We have started and will probably start in the future when we work responsibly, reliably and determinedly based on the rights of the task forces for the safety of our people.
Of course, we can avoid this immense danger not only by using our own capabilities, but even by mobilizing the capabilities of the international community”
(TIP, 13.01.2024).

This famine has been known and been warned about. Since the war there been a humanitarian catastrophe in the Tigray region. As humanitarian assistance has been blocked and the agricultural sector been hurt by war. That has been done with targeted and bureaucratic hurdles to ensure the demise of more people in Tigray. Now that the cessation of hostilities haven’t stopped this and neither has there been reports of steady stream of humanitarian assistance to the region either. Therefore, the continued plight has persisted.

TIP further says: “The leadership and members of our cluster and district organizations should monitor the activities of this task force and whether the aid is reaching the beneficiaries properly; If you ’ve noticed any weaknesses or signs of corruption, please inform the TIP headquarters. Hunger knows no conditions!” (TIP, 13.01.2024).

You know things are bad when the opposition doesn’t trust the TIRA or the TPLF. They are worried that they will eat the aid and not give it to the starving. That is telling in the middle of this crisis and wants a word if people knows. It is really sad things are boiling down to this. The Tigray region needs help and the crisis cannot be forgotten. Yet another famine that continues the trend of destruction and desperation in Tigray.

TIP is only speaking out for the ones in need. They want the TIRA/TPLF to do what they need to do and asks others to help them so they can. This is the sad reality and so many people needs help and they cannot wait for tomorrow. Peace.