Opinion: Prime Minister Abiy have opened up Pandora’s Box!

Pandora’s box comes from the ancient Greek story about a character named Pandora, who was given a box as a wedding gift but was ordered not to open it. Eventually, curiosity overcame her and she opened the box, releasing death, evil, and misery into the world. The term Pandora’s box was first used in English to refer to something that could cause many problems sometime around 1570” (MacMillan Dictionary Blog – ‘Pandora’s box’, 2017).

On the 3rd November 2020 he ordered the army to attack Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). It is now on the 12th day of the civil war between the Federal Government (Prosperity Party) versus the TPLF. Prime Minister Ahmed Ali Abiy is terming this as an “Operation Law Enforcement” and to regain “Rule of Law”. While not deeming it as war or warfare, even has his ordering soldiers, airstrikes and direct military operation in the regional state of Tigray.

This is why the Tigrayan civilians are fleeing the region to Sudan. Why the Tigrayan citizens are banned, arrested and silenced in the public sphere. The Federal Government isn’t only going after the TPLF, but everyone who has the ethnic background. So, the PM is taking more of ills from Pandora’s Box.

Prime Minister Abiy opened Pandora’s Box and all the ills went out of it. The hope is left behind. The PM wasn’t supposed to open it. He was given the box and wasn’t told not to do so. However, he still did it. The PM went to war and now the affects will appear. The ethnic angle, the horrific massacres and human rights violations will be revealed down the line. When the refugees is speaking and investigations into the acts of the parties are unleashed to the public. Because of the media blackout, the telephone and lack of internet. There is little to nothing coming out, except for the narrative the state wants to have out.

This is why we don’t know all the pain, the suffering or the dire needs in the region, as the state is closing it off. The little coming out is in favour of either party and alleging the caused it. While we cannot know who did it or what went down. Both parties has reasons to dismiss and claim otherwise to look better in the public perception. To make the other party look evil or causing war-crimes. Therefore, at this point … it is hard to know, if it is this or that.

However, when the Prime Minister opened Pandora’s Box. He wouldn’t know what ills and evil would come out of it. Now there is bombs in Massawa and Asmara of Eritrea yesterday. Some claim it was missiles from Tigray, other local detonations. There has also been attacks on Gondar and Bahi Dar this week. Therefore, it wouldn’t be shocking if there was sudden explosives in Addis Ababa to attack government facilities or things dear to the heart of the Prime Minister. As a retort to the attacks in Tigray. That is natural in the circumstances of war and warfare. Not its fair to innocent civilians, but neither is airstrikes and battles in own communities done by government soldiers who are supposed to protect them in the first place.

This is why the box is now haunting the Prime Minister. He opened the lid and let it all out. The PM cannot return it now. Especially, as he whole heartedly believes he can finish his mission and contain the TPLF. He thinks he has the upper-hand as he also will be aligned with Eritrea to beat the TPLF. However, whatever Sudan decides to do will be crucial. As they are feeling the aftermath and the costs of sheltering fleeing civilians. Which are the citizens the PM is supposed to protect.

That is why there is no true winners of war. Only losers, the ones that lost less is the winner. The one who overcome the tragedies and horrific events.

Pandora’s Box have been opened and the effects of it is happening right now. Peace.

Ethiopia: Tigray Community of Illinois – A call to the International Community for Action Against an all-out-civil war in Ethiopia (13.11.2020)

Sudan: Eastern Border | Ethiopia Situation – Daily New Arrivals Update (As of 14 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: Office of the Prime Minister – The Federal Government of Ethiopia is asserting its constitutional mandate to uphold the rule of law according to the laws of the land (15.11.2020)

Ethiopia: Global Society of Tigrai Scholars (GSTS) – Statement on Amnesty’s International Report Regarding the Killings of Civilians: A Call for UN-Mandated Investigation (14.11.2020)

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.