Ethiopia: UN High-level Officials Express Deep Concern Over Escalating Ethnic Tensions in Ethiopia (12.11.2020)

Ethiopia: Office of the Prime Minister – The Ongoing Law Enforcement Operations in Tigray: Causes and Objectives (14.11.2020)

Ethiopia: Government of National Regional State of Tigray – Statement in response to the allegation raised by Amnesty International Investigation (14.11.2020)

Ethiopia: Ethiopian Human Rights Commission – The war in Tigray Region and the worrying state of human rights protection (14.11.2020)

Ethiopia: Prime Minister Abiy has unleashed a beast he cannot control

What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or in the holy name of liberty or democracy?”Mahatma Gandhi

On the 3rd November 2020, ten days ago the first reports of the Military Operation was happening in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Now 10 days ago a lot has happen. There will be more of a aftermath for every single day. Especially, since the state is shielding their efforts with total black-out of information. Where there is only their “information” or leaked statements from the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). Which is the one party that is under siege and is deemed illegal by all means since the start of the war.

Prime Minister Ahmed Ali Abiy ordered this on the 3rd November 2020. Since, then his government have issued all means to stop Tigrayan people from working. Sacking them for the ethnic background. That is what is happening.

There is even massacres happening, possible destruction of land-marks and expensive infrastructure like a dam generating electricity. That is the sort of state of affairs. There is even speculations, but not verified that several of incarceration units have been put in place just for Tigrayan citizens across the republic. However, this has not verified, but with the other sackings and issuing stay-home orders for them. The state is working directly to make life hard just because of ethnicity… that is the sort of life the Prime Minister has to offer his citizens.

To revenge the TPLF he has to take everyone who is with their ethnicity. That is the sort of fella the PM is. This is the sort of revenging means. Not only delegitimize, discredit and criminalize the political party, but also target the general population of the region. That is what he has done and is doing. This is why the civilians are fleeing. Already over 14,000 has fled within 10 days of battles.

The Prosperity Party and the Federal Government should be torn in the flesh. As the warfare is killing not only Tigrayan soldiers, but also killing civilians. The Federal Government is also losing soldiers as casualties as well. Therefore, the bloodshed is happening and at a pace we don’t know. The battles, the skirmishes and the “Law Enforcement Operation” aka Warfare will cost lives on all sides. It will hurt innocent civilians and it will continue to cause havoc for a long time.

The PM is responsible for this. It is on his orders. There is even orders to keep students away from campus and the universities. They are supposed to enlist and join the army. That is the sort of government the PP is at the moment.

When the PM ordered the army to attack the TPLF. He might thought it would be a quick fix. There has been reports of moving brigades from Somalia to fight there as well. Now, his enlisting students to add new men to the battlefield as well.

This here will not be over quickly, especially when the PM and PP has shown no interest in mediation from IGAD, Kenyan Special Envoy or from African Union. The PM is more involved in hoping to write the final death-note of the TPLF.

This here hasn’t just escalating, but is spiralling out. Sooner or later, the TPLF and other groups will use the weakness of the government. They will ensure the moment of weakness to strike. As the government is occupied in a futile war over a constitutional dispute. Which could have been resolved over negotiations and dialogue. However, the Prime Minister prefers to solve these things with guns to install favourable allies. This is why he wages this war and works to eliminate the TPLF.

The TPLF isn’t saints, but the PP isn’t honourable either. The TPLF should answer for past sins in office. Just like this PM has to answer for his. He will answer for this war and the lives his taken on his watch. That is just the tragic result of this.

When you start a war.. you never, never know how it ends. However, you have opened up a door to reality that moves and shifts. War isn’t an animal easy to domesticate. It is a wild animal and a brutal one. It can look friendly, but if you stir his play-pen you will torn to pieces. Therefore, the end-game is unknown and the results might not be what the goal when it was started.

This PM will live with this. His whole party and all his allies will answer for these actions. They will be remembered for this war. It has only been 10 days. We have no idea of the ramifications, but we know innocent lives has been taken. People are hurt, starving and bombed. There are communities in dire need and warfare is an ugly beast. An ugly beast the PM unleashed on his own citizens on the 3rd November 2020. The ramafications of that beast is all on him. He has to be responsible for what happens during thsi time. The costs, the pain and the suffering for unleashing this beast. Is all on him. Peace.

Ethiopia: Bachelet expresses alarm as Tigray conflict “risks spiralling out of control” (13.11.2020)

GENEVA (13 November 2020) – Amid emerging reports of mass killings in the town of Mai-Kadra, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet on Friday expressed increasing alarm at the rapidly deteriorating situation in the Ethiopian region of Tigray.

She warned that if the Tigray regional forces and Ethiopian Government forces continue down the path they are on “there is a risk this situation will spiral totally out of control, leading to heavy casualties and destruction, as well as mass displacement within Ethiopia itself and across borders.”

While the details of the alleged mass killings reported by Amnesty International in Mai-Kadra in south-west Tigray have not yet been fully verified, Bachelet called for a full inquiry.

“If confirmed as having been deliberately carried out by a party to the current fighting, these killings of civilianswould of course amount to war crimes, and there must be an independent investigation and full accountability for what has happened,” she said. “However, the first priority right now must be to stop the fighting and prevent any further atrocities from taking place.”

The UN Human Rights Chief said that despite the severing of communications with Tigray making it difficult to verify the extent of the damage so far, she had received reports from a variety of sources suggesting increased airstrikes by Government forces as well as fierce ground fighting between the opposing forces.

“I am also extremely alarmed at reports of cuts to essential water and electricity supplies, in addition to the communications blackout and blocking of access by road and air,” she said. “This means there is already a dramatic impact on the civilian population, in addition to the risk of death or injury as a result of hostilities.”

The UN Human Rights Chief repeated her 6 November appeal to both sides to begin talks with the aim of an immediate cessation of hostilities.

“I strongly urge both sides to realize that there will be no winner in such a situation and begin a serious dialogue to resolve their differences without delay,” Bachelet said. “A protracted internal conflict will inflict devastating damage on both Tigray and Ethiopia as a whole, undoing years of vital development progress. It could, in addition, all too easily spill across borders, potentially destabilizing the whole sub-region.”

Sudan: Eastern Border | Ethiopia Situation – Weekly New Arrivals Update (As of 12 November 2020)

Beginning of November 2020, UNHCR has recorded an influx of asylum seekers at border entry points in East Sudan from Ethiopia, after military confrontations in the Tigray region in northern Ethiopia.

UNHCR’s teams at the border areas of the eastern Sudanese states of Kassala and Gedaref are working with the Sudanese Commissioner of Refugees (CoR), local authorities and partners to monitor and respond to the situation, as well mobilizing resources to provide life-saving assistance services to the new arrivals. Inter-agency coordination and contingency response planning is well underway

Ethiopia: UNHCR – Over 11,000 asylum seekers flee Ethiopia across border to Sudan (12.11.2020)

Ethiopia: Urgent Call and Appeal for Peace in Ethiopia from Citizens of the Horn of Africa (11.11.2020)

Eritrea: Eritrean Political Forces Coordination Committee – Launches Various Joint Political Tasks (17.09.2020)

The Eritrean Political Forces, which on 24 June 2020 issued a joint declaration pledging to coordinate their efforts to bring democratic change in Eritrea, have initiated their joint work on a number of important areas, including diplomacy, media, and mass mobilization activities. The political forces are Eritrean National Council for Democratic Change, Eritrean National Front, Eritrean People’s Democratic Party, and Unity for Democratic Change and United Eritreans for Justice. The guiding principles bringing the political forces together are: (1) Protecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Eritrea; (2) Removing the autocratic regime with the unified power of the people; (3) Successfully transitioning Eritrea to a multiparty system of democratic governance; and (4) Submitting to rule-of-law and guaranteeing basic liberties and rights to the Eritrean people.

On July 9, 2020, in implementing the joint declaration, the Eritrean Political Forces established an eleven-person Coordination Committee. This committee is responsible for the development and implementation of a joint action plan to affect democratic changes in Eritrea. The members of this committee are፡ Dr. Mohammed Beshir (Chairperson), Adiam Tefera (Vice-Chair), Bluts Iyassu (co-Secretary), Idris Humed (co-Secretary), Abraham Iyassu, Haj Abdelnur Haj, Mahmud Mohammed Ali, Menghesteab Asmerom, Suleiman Sediq, Teclesenbet Teclai, and Yoseif Asghedom.

Effective on August 22, 2020, the Coordination Committeehas initiated its work with the establishment of the following three task forces:

Diplomacy: –The task force is responsible for conducting a joint diplomatic mission for the Eritrean political forces. Headed by Hailemariam Tesfai, and Abel Haile as a secretary, the task force consists of representatives globally covering five regional offices: Africa headed by Mr. Berhane Debesu; Europe headed by Woldeyesus Ammar, and Tsighehans Kidane; Middle East/Asia headed by Hassen al-Assad;North America headed by Dr. Teshome Berhanemeskel, and Kidane Tesfagebriel; and Australia/New Zealand headed by Teare Haile, and Yassin Abrahim.This task force is charged with: (1) advocating for the human right causes of our people, (2) garnering international community’s support for our pro democracy movement, and (3) advancing our goal of bring a democratic change in Eritrea.

Media: –This task force isresponsible for coordinating and conducting joint media activities of the Eritrean political forces. Headed by Hanan Mohammed Salih and Teclu (Toma) Ghebreyessus as a secretary, the members of the task force includeAbdulla Omar, Debessai Beyene, Dirrar Mantai, Habtom Berhane, Kewani Gebreslasie Syum, Mohamed Salih Hagos, Mohammed Berhan Blata, and Woldu Negasi. Across all media platforms, the task force will be coordinating and facilitating the Eritrean political forces, as well as other opposition and international media, to cooperatively work to: (1)expose the illegal, immoral, and unjust actions of the Eritrean regime;(2) spotlight the suffering of the Eritrean people inside and outside the country that it is due to the social, economic, and political failures of the regime in Eritrea;and (3) promote the opposition forces’ struggle to defeat the dictatorial regime in Eritrea.

Mass Mobilization: – This task force is responsible for organizing and coordinating the mass mobilization activities of the Eritrean political forces. Headed by Berhane Ghebrekristos, and Germay Tekie as a secretary, the members of the task force include Abraham Tesfagergiss, Asgedet Tesfayouhaness, Bahta Hailemariam, Desbele Ghebrehiwet, Eyob Yemane Weldegebriel, Gebrehiwet Melles, Hyelom Danial, and Tiebe Tekie. It is the goal of the task force to: (1) mobilize Eritrean masses (inside and outsidethe country) to stand together in opposition to the Eritrean regime, (2) organize political actions to (directly or indirectly) affect democratic changes in Eritrea, and (3) coordinate a sustained political and social activities to safeguard Eritrean sovereignty and unity of its people.

The Coordination Committee will continue with the establishment of more task forces in the areas of intelligence, financial affairs, and strategic planning to further strengthen the coordinated efforts of the political forces.The Coordination Committee, which operates under the oversight responsibility of the Chairpersons of Eritrean Political Forces, is very grateful to the Chairpersons for their continuous guidance and support.

Dr. Mohammed Beshir
Eritrean Political Forces Coordination Committee