Ethiopia: Security and Justice for Tigreans in Ethiopia (STJE) – Open Letter to President Biden – Urgent Call to End the Genocidal War in Tigray, Ethiopia (18.04.2021)

April 18, 2021

President Joseph R. Biden
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20500

Re: Open Letter to President Biden – Urgent Call to End the Genocidal War in Tigray, Ethiopia

Dear President Joseph R. Biden,

It is with enormous respect that we, the Security and Justice for Tigrayans in Ethiopia, write to you today to urge you to act with utmost urgency to end the genocide and ethnic cleansing in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. The anguish and suffering the people of Tigray are facing is so great that it requires the leader of the free world to bring it to a full stop. We believe this challenge offers a test for the United States as it stands in defense of its democratic and human rights values and a true measure of its success in sharing these values with the world.

There cannot be a higher calling for you Mr. President as the leader of the free world committed to the protection of human rights around the world than to save the extermination of a minority ethnic group by its own government working in partnership with invading foreign armies and militias. This is a rare and historical challenge that threatens the complete destruction of Tigray and the annihilation of its people and requires a swift action to stop. If left unattended, Tigray may not be the only region to bear the brunt of the damage; other regions of Ethiopia and the entire Horn of Africa may also be destabilized.

The atrocities perpetrated on the people of Tigray are abhorrent and too many to count. These widespread atrocities and war crimes including indiscriminate bombing and massacre of civilians, rape of girls and women, burning of crops and looting of livestock, and total economic destruction have been widely reported and documented by some of the most reputable international media such as the New York Times and CNN, the US government, the UN, Amnesty International and many others.

A multi award-winning CNN Senior International correspondent, Nima Elbagir, in her March 18, 2021 interview with 4 News, described the crimes being committed as “…very, very Intentional” adding “it is not a rape about the tragic consequences of war but…it is a rape as a weapon of war”. She continued to say”…this is about erasing Tigray and Tigrayan identity and bloodline which is one of the hallmarks of genocide”.

And with regards to PM Abiy Ahmed, In her interview with Democracy Now on December 3, 2020, Elbagir says, “..for him to have won a Nobel Peace Prize for something that has enabled him to wage a war on an entire region, on 6 million people, is just — it’s appalling. It’s appalling to think about.” The devastation the world is witnessing in Tigray today was not triggered by a simple act of the local government in Tigray but rather it was a result of a well-rehearsed plan that involved military cooperation and preparation for over 2 years premeditated by Abiy Ahmed and Isaias Afwerki to destroy Tigray and subjugate its peace-loving people. The ruthless dictator of Eritrea and his immature student of Ethiopia are carrying out this operation to achieve their dream of conquering the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea zone.

Dear Mr. President,

The war crimes in Tigray have been compared chillingly to that of the former Yugoslavia, Kosovo and the Rwandan genocide by many international observers and media. As you know, while the US took a decisive action to stop the atrocities in Kosovo, it unfortunately did not act in the case of the Rwandan genocide. Former President Bill Clinton said his inaction in Rwanda was his biggest regret of his presidency. The salient question now is how is the Tigray genocide different? On April 25, 2019, you said, “America is an idea. An idea that is stronger than any army, bigger than any ocean, more powerful than any dictator or tyrant. It gives hope to the most desperate people on earth, it guarantees that everyone is treated with dignity and gives hate no safe harbor. It instills in every person in this country the belief that no matter where you start in life, there is nothing you can’t achieve if you work at it. That’s what we believe.”  These are the hopeful words from your speech you delivered a year ago that our people want to see translated into deeds. Will the misery of the poor people in Tigray end anytime soon? And why is the US not taking actions strong enough to end the war?

The people of Tigray and indeed the rest of the world recognize that the US has significant leverage over Ethiopia and Eritrea, and it is not entirely clear why there is hesitancy to act to stop this genocide. The US can stop the war via several measures including diplomacy and a show of force targeting military installations of the Eritrean ruthless dictator.

If the US is waiting for Eritrean troops to leave on their own accord, we like to assure you this will not happen. We realize PM Abiy Ahmed announced about 10 days ago that Eritrea will withdraw its forces from Tigray, but this has not taken place despite his deceitful announcement two days ago that they have started “evacuating from border areas”. To the contrary, credible reports indicate that tens of thousands of new Eritrean soldiers arrived in Tigray on the same day the Prime Minister promised withdrawal in defiance of the demands by the international community. Reports also indicate that in an attempt to deceive the world, Eritrean troops are simply changing their uniforms to Ethiopian uniforms so that they remain in Tigray and continue their atrocities. The Prime Minister has been lying about a number of significant issues and he cannot be trusted.

As Tigrayan-Ethiopians who understand the tyrannical aspirations of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and his mentor dictator Isaias Afwerki, we believe the only definitive solution to end the genocidal war on Tigray is through meaningful Kosovo-like intervention. Thus, Mr. President, we urge you to act now before it is too late.

Dear Mr. President,

As if the atrocities, the premeditated hunger and the destructions perpetrated in Tigray so far are not enough, a most recently leaked 27-page confidential document from the Government of Eritrea titled “The Military Campaign in Tigray has Failed to Achieve the Desired Goals” was sent to the Eritrean commanders in Tigray. This document orders the Eritrean military in Tigray to swiftly act on aggrandizing the indiscriminate killings of the youth and the complete destruction of properties. It calls for mercilessly annihilate the Tigrayan youth and disperse the remaining ones into various concentration camps. This renewed order to intensify the atrocities in Tigray shows that the situation in Tigray is going to deteriorate further and would become completely out of control. In the face of such reality in Tigray, the US and the international community not only have the legal responsibility to act urgently under the UN Resolutions 2417 (2018) and 1247 (2018) but also they have the moral and ethical obligation to stop this genocide

Despite all the evidence of human rights violations and the US, EU, G7, Great Britain, Canada, France, Germany, and Australia’s latest demands for the immediate withdrawal of Eritrean and Amhara militia forces from Tigray, the Ethiopian government is still allowing the increased presence of the Eritrean forces dressed in Ethiopian military uniforms while integrating the Amhara militia that committed war crimes, rape, genocide, and ethnic cleansing in west Tigray into the national army. The move by the Ethiopian government to integrate a genocidal Amhara militia into the national army rings alarm bells as this is to hide crimes from investigation and further commit additional crimes all over Tigray and beyond. Thus, we at the SJTE ask you take the lead for the USA and its allies to take all necessary measures at your disposal including an immediate military action under “Operation Freedom” to save humanity in Tigray under UN Resolution 1247 (2018) including, but not limited to:

  1. Force the immediate, unconditional and verifiable withdrawal of Eritrean Army and the Amhara militia from Tigray without which no humanitarian aid and peace is possible.
  2. Allow humanitarian access all over Tigray so that the over 5 million people who need food aid can be reached without any blockage or interference of the Eritrean and Ethiopian armies.
  3. Stop the indiscriminate shelling and bombing of civilians by imposing “No Fly Zone” all over Tigray for the protection of the civilian populations in rural and urban areas.
  4. Reinstate the democratically elected legitimate government of Tigray and start a dialogue that involves all stakeholders in Ethiopia.
  5. Release all political prisoners in Ethiopia including military personnel and UN peacekeepers of Tigray origin (about 22,000) and more than 90,000 civilians who have been fired from their jobs and detained all over Ethiopia in military camps and prisons.
  6. Recommend for the investigation of all human rights violations and war crimes to be conducted by an independent international team after the immediate withdrawal of the Eritrean Army and Amhara militia.
  7. Enforce the safe passage and return of the 2.2 million internally displaced people (IDP) to their ancestral lands, villages and towns before the rainy season starts in June 2021 with the assistance of the UN.

Respectfully,
SECURITY AND JUSTICE FOR TIGREANS IN ETHIOPIA (SJTE)

Ethiopia: Joint Press Release by Opposition Political Parties and Independent Candidates of The Somali State in Ethiopia (18.04.2021)

Ethiopia: Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) – The 6th National Elections (16.04.2021)

Ethiopia: Advocacy for Justice & Democracy Forum (Tegezo) – Situation update: West Tigray – “We’ll see if [Blinken] saves you” (14.04.2021)

Ethiopia: The Global Society of Tigray Scholars and Professionals (GSTS) letter to the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and African Development Bank Group (AfDB) – (14.04.2021)

 

Ethiopia: Ministry of Foreign Affairs – On the Media and alleged Human Rights violations and other crimes committed in Tigray (07.04.2021)

Ethiopia: The Global Society of Tigray Scholars and Professionals (GSTS) letter to United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet (06.04.2021)

Ethiopia: OLF-OLA High Command Statement (05.04.2021)

Opinion: The Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs is praising Eritrea!

Ethiopia MFA twitter statement: “Ethiopia is grateful to the government & people of Eritrea for neutralizing the attacks of the treasonous TPLF clique by treating our soldiers & standing with us after they were backstabbed by their own colleagues. While the world seems to misunderstand, wittingly or otherwise, Ethiopia’s efforts to enforce law and order in Tigray, we appreciate those, like the people & government of #Eritrea, who understand our context. Ethiopia also lauds the solidarity of the Eritrean diasporas with their Ethiopian counterparts in the recently held rallies in major cities in the West supporting Ethiopia’s determination to fight misinformation & prejudice on critical issues to the country” (Ethiopia Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 05.04.2021).

We are living in 2021 and things not stopping to surprise me. Today is a day where the Tripartite Alliance is in full effect. The alliance between Ethiopia, Amhara and Eritrea is now in full force. As the Eritrean are continuing to defend their actions in Ethiopia by their Shabait website or Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs are now praising the Eritrean effort in the Law Enforcement Operation. That is clear by the tweets written and published today on their account there today.

The Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs is clearly telling they are thankful and grateful for their actions. The Eritrean Defence Force (EDF) who is using vile force in the Tigray Region. An army that has been looting, raping and even causing horrific massacres an-mass there. We don’t know the full scope of war crimes happening in the region, but what we do know is devastating.

The Eritrean army have caused havoc. Have used all means to silence, stop and assault the region. There has been no tools they are not allowed to use. The Eritrean soldiers have used not only weapons, but inciting fear. They are using all means to go after the TPLF. While the Eritrean state is calling all reports as “bullshit” and saying they are “innocent”. Which cannot be true, when they are allowed to do everything and witnesses is telling what has happened after the fact.

What is evident today is that there is an official axis between Addis Ababa and Asmara. They are now brothers in arms against one enemy. They are beholden to each other and support each other. That is evident by their articles and words. They are sparring for each other and defending each other too.

That is why Shabait have articles dismissing and telling all ills of the TPLF. Because Asmara only did this all in self-defence. However, that is not all true and they we’re pre-planned to happen. The Ethiopian and Eritrean allies had moved troops and ordered it to happen before the 4th November 2021. That has been reported and shown how the troops moved ahead of the launch of the Law Enforcement Operation. Which was meant to be … even before the Northern Command ever was stormed by the Tigray Defence Force (TDF).

We can clearly see the Ethiopian-Eritrean alliance is working in tandem. They are defending each other. Not only with their soldiers, but by their acts too. Their official stances and statements are becoming friendly. That’s because they need each other and they are fighting the same battles.

Abiy and Afwerki is now both warlords. The PM and President is fighting the same war. They are bound by the fate of this war and the reports that comes from it. These two are no aligned and have to co-operate to get their objectives done. That’s why Addis Ababa is sending tokens of appreciation and cheering on for the EDF.

The war in Tigray is clearly showing the lack of heart in the administrations of Asmara and Addis Ababa. When they are praising the rivers of blood and the suffering of one region. Because, they need each other to able to cope with one guerrilla outfit. Peace.

Opinion: Abiy’s Law Enforcement Operation have become a guerrilla war

Currently, the national defence forces and the federal forces are in a major fight on 8 fronts in the north and the west (parts of the country) with the enemies which are anti-farmers, anti-civilians and caused strife among Ethiopians and are paying a sacrifice” – Prime Minister Ahmed Ali Abiy (03.04.2021)

On the 15th November 2020 I wrote about the Law Enforcement Operation that the Prime Minister had opened the “Pandora’s Box”. Which is now revealed all too be true. The ordered operation that was supposed to end at end of November last year. However, we know that this is on-going and a continued warfare in the region. The civil war in Tigray is continuing to this day.

It seems to have no end and that the “conventional” war with the tripartite alliance of forces isn’t able to totally counter the defensive forces. The Ethiopian National Defence Force (ENDF), Eritrean Defence Force (EDF) and Amhara Paramilitary Group “Fano” doesn’t have it in them to beat the Tigray Defence Force (TDF)

The armed forces of the tripartite alliance is using all means to destroy, annihilate and get rid of its enemies. They have been reported of several of massacres, looting and rape. They are using all means of war. Air-strikes, shelling and other means as well. They have mechanical battalions and tanks on the fields as well. So, they have not speared the conflict any sort of advanced techniques to kill the enemy. However, we are seeing that its not bearing fruits.

The Prime Minister promised a quick operation and ending. They we’re even in the final phases. Nevertheless, it seems like he overplayed his hands and possible amount of success. The Prime Minister have been outsmarted at his own game. He went to war and has since then been stuck in a quagmire. A sort of affair, where more and more atrocities are reported. Where the international community and everyone who follows see the rising numbers of fatalities and hears about the violations of the codes of war. The PM is clearly losing this and he cannot even phantom the counter-attacks of his enemy.

The PM thought the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) wouldn’t use their advantage and know-how of their region? The PM wouldn’t consider the one attacked in their homes and villages wouldn’t use counter-attacking means? He just expected them all just to do a battle-royal on the fields and call-it-a-day. If the PM thought so… he is either blind or stupid.

The TDF is using the means of guerrilla warfare. Which is the most productive means to counter-attack such forces as the tripartite alliance. They are using the knowledge and surroundings to their advantage. They know where to hide and where to possible ambush their enemy. That is what the TDF is doing to the tripartite alliance who is invading their lands. If the PM doesn’t grasp this… he has sent these former allies and former comrades to the bush to combat him.

Now the PM and his tripartite alliance is in the midst of a guerrilla war. They are no longer in a “conventional” war… the alliance of the state has already been known for taking state buildings in towns and cities making them into barracks. Where they are stationing soldiers and using universities, schools and even hospitals as bases in the region.

Clearly, the tripartite alliance is doing its best and trying to figure out ways to combat these insurgencies and sudden attacks from its enemy. Nevertheless, this sort of warfare will not be short-lived. The enemy of the tripartite alliance will mask itself and even become the terrain if needed be. They will blend into the general public and suddenly strike as they see fit. Therefore, the 8 fronts is only in the manner the TDF can practically make the lines of attack weaker. As the tripartite alliance needs to stretch its soldiers and front-lines. They cannot focus on single targets and goals. They have to move the goal-post and not just be in area at the time. That is because the ones they are fighting is local guerrillas, that is born and raised in the region. They are fighting for their homes and rights to rule in their region. This is why they are able and can prolong it in this manner.

Prime Minister should understand this. That the Pandora’s Box that he opened in November 2020. Will be a long saga and be the blood-stain that he never gets clean his hands off. This conflict is the war that will be his legacy and mark his reign. The Law Enforcement Operation is his whole project to own and carry. That he has failed it and haven’t delivered is his fault. He promised a quick-fix, but in the end… The PM will have to manage a long-running forever war with guerrillas. Which will only give up when the invaders are leaving. Peace.