Ethiopia: Unconfirmed reports of the arrests of TPLF President Debretsion and Advisor Reda

BREAKING : Tigray state president Debretsion Gebremichael reportedly captured alive along with other senior aides during a joint operation by the Ethiopian Military and Amhara Regional State Paramilitary Forces in the conflict hit Tigray region of Northern Ethiopia” (Halgan Media, 06.12.2020).

Unconfirmed reports on social media TPLF leader Debretsion is arrested but Amhara Goverment office advising to not celebrate since the arrest is not confirmed and official yet” (Addis Media, 06.12.2020).

There also reports that Getachew Reda was also arrested with the TPLF President Debretsion as they we’re fleeing the area in Sekota as priests. Some has said the Woreda Communications have confirmed this and that they are held by the Court Martial.

However, none of this information is currently verified. It is not yet clear. The Media blackout and government stranglehold on information. Makes the process of gathering information from the Region of Tigray much harder. Therefore, we can not yet say if this is true or not.

It would be a big blow for the TPLF. Losing main leaders and getting them behind bars. These folks will get no mercy from the Federal Government. As they will be proven “terrorists” in their eyes and will not shown any redeeming character. They will be taken and shown as an example for the rest of the Republic.

This would be a big victory for the Prime Minister and the Prosperity Party. If these two are arrested and other aides of the TPLF President Debretsion. The TPLF will be damaged by this. We don’t know how this goes for the Command Structure and the current fighting in the Region.

If these folks are arrested. It is a propaganda victory. Nevertheless, I doubt it will be enough to cease the fighting and the current battles in the region. Peace.

African National Congress (ANC): ANC Calls for Peaceful Resolution of the Conflict in Ethiopia (05.12.2020)

IGAD, UNHCR and partners welcome first meeting of Sudan and South Sudan on solutions to displacement (04.12.2020)

Plan International – Ethiopia Conflict: Urgent support needed for unaccompaanied child refugees in Sudan (03.12.2020)

Ethiopia: Tigray Region Humanitarian Update – Situation Report No. 7 (01.12.2020)

Ethiopia: Tigray Friendship Liason Office – Tigray Emergency Situation Report – Report from within Tigray (03.12.2020)

Prime Minister Abiy’s Tragicomedy: The 2021 election!

Tragicomedy, dramatic work incorporating both tragic and comic elements. When coined by the Roman dramatist Plautus in the 2nd century bc, the word denoted a play in which gods and men, masters and slaves reverse the roles traditionally assigned to them, gods and heroes acting in comic burlesque and slaves adopting tragic dignity. This startling innovation may be seen in Plautus’ Amphitryon” (The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica – ‘Tragicomedy’ 25.08.2014, Encyclopædia Britannica).

I don’t know about you… but at this point. Who believes the words coming out of Prime Minister Ahmed Ali Abiy? Well, I don’t and I think his full of himself. His ego has hit the stratosphere and is a long lost individual. Who is high on his own supply. That he himself believes in every word that he says.

We are now in the end of 2020. It has been a long time coming for the “transitional government” and now on the “unconstitutional” 6th Year in Office. Which will be ended by an election through universal suffrage. The August Elections in 2020 was postponed because of COVID-19, but the same Prime Minister had no issues ordering a internal war and a conflict. However, it was to bad conditions to actually hold elections in the same period.

So, the man has no scruples, which I will detail more under the quote from ENA saying his will deliver “free and fair elections”. I beg to differ…

Prime Minister Abiy restated that the efforts of the Federal Government to make the 2021 elections free and fair. “I shared the federal government’s unwavering efforts to lay the foundation for free & fair elections,” he said. The highly anticipated and historic election, which will be held following the reforms of critical democratic institutions in Ethiopia over the past two and half years, is noted as the most consequential election in its demonstration of Ethiopia’s democratization journey initiated in 2018, it was indicated” (Ethiopian News Agency – ‘PM Abiy Vows to Lay Foundation for Free, Fair Elections’ 02.12.2020).

This must be a joke. It must be a sarcastic and punchline from the comedian on stage. The Prime Minister couldn’t say this with all of his heart and conscience in order. Because, that doesn’t make sense. Especially not in December 2020. No, a free and fair election will not be held by the Prosperity Party or the Federal Government under Prime Minister Abiy.

It is tragic… a tragedy. Sincere apologizes, but the ones believing this is naive. Journalists writing stories opposing or in direct conflict with the messages from the state gets arrested too. Exiled Ethiopians who are speaking their minds to international media get arrest warrants. Former government party and part of the previous coalition EPRDF, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) is deemed terrorists and outlawed. While other opposition leaders, activists and others either end behind bars or gets killed. This is the leadership of the Oromo opposition parties and others too.

Prime Minister Abiy isn’t a man of democracy or democratic value. No, his a man of a selective taste. A taste, which is bitter-sweet. It is only the his voice and his orders that matters. The rest are supposed to bend their knees for the emperor and pledge allegiance to him. If you don’t… well, don’t say I didn’t warn you, but you will be punished. There are so many examples. It is so many people who has died since the man took over and consolidated power. This man will use all means and make “fake” coups to install his men in power in the regional states. That is the sort of fella and ruler Abiy is.

With the knowledge of this… do you expect the man to give the Federal Republic, a free and fair elections?

Who are we kidding here? What sort of sick joke is this?

The man who has arrested the opposition and letting them rot in jail. That man will deliver free and fair elections. That is a sketch and a bad SNL skit. Heck, a tragicomedy … and Abiy plays the main role. That is how things seems these days. He could trick the world at one point, but can he fool it again?

It shouldn’t be possible. However, the world wants to be fooled and maybe Abiy is the dishonest “hero” the world needs. Peace.

Ethiopia: Jawar Mohammed’s quest for peaceful resolution of the crisis (November 2020)

Ethiopia: Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) Public Statement on Post-Conflict – Human Rights Should Guide Post-Conflict Reconstruction (30.11.2020)

Ethiopia: Why is Prime Minister Abiy lying about the Refugees?

“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, 30.11.2020)

Reports indicate that refugees in Sudan are mostly male, as opposed to women and children. Who are these male youth? If the youth are part of those who massacred innocent civilians in Maikadra, then they need to brought to justice” – Prime Mnister Ahmed Ali Abiy speaking to Parliament on the 30th November 2020

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees or the UN Refugee Agency numbers from Sudan says otherwise. I doubt the UNHCR has a reason to boggle the numbers or twist them in a way.

I wonder, what is purpose of this deliberate lie from the Prime Minister? If he lies this easily and can be debunked even without local reports on the ground or from the international media, which is blocked from the area.

Prime Minister Abiy is certainly trying to forge his message. That his view is righteous … since the PM has to lie about who is fleeing the conflict and warfare in the Tigray region.

What could be the general purpose of doing that? What can he gain from doing this? That is what I am wondering about. Yes, there is a difference, but not as significant as the PM claims it to be. He makes it seem like its all male youth passing by. While the reality is closer to 50-50 or 57 percentage male and 43 percentage woman. Also, 45 percentage children between 0-17 years and the other majority is 51 percentage 18 to 59 years of age. While a small minority is elderly and it’s only about 4 %. That is not surprising … as the ones over 60 years is not as moveable and able to flee as the younger of age.

So, in one way it more men… but not the way its sounds from the Prime Minister. He is blaming the youths fleeing the conflict. Making it seems like they we’re behind a massacre. While his claiming that they are a majority of the fleeing ones. When it is more balanced than that.

Why would he lie about this?

My question is also… what else is he lying about when this was so easy to figure out. Didn’t even need extensive reports or affidavits. It is poor judgement of the PM to lie about this. It makes it easy to look into everything else he says or does. Since he cannot even trusted with the gender balance of refugees from his own darn conflict. That says a lot about this man. Peace.