Ethiopia: Prime Minister Abiy – What are you hiding?

When you don’t want interference or want to be accountable to use your sovereign stance. I wonder, what are you hiding? What is that your not telling or what to say to the International Community? Since the Prosperity Party and the Federal Government of Ethiopia would be challenged if the International Community abandoned it.

Let’s say the World Bank, International Monetary Funds, USAID, EU and everyone else giving direct donor support of the PP and Prime Minister Ahmed Ali Abiy government. These people should suspend their direct government budget support, as these monies are funnelling civil-war and warfare in the Tigray Region. While the same support is used to take political prisoners and create a media black-out in the Republic. Where only the voices of the Addis Ababa elites and the ones loyal enough to the PM can report. Therefore, God knows what is really happening.

If the PM wants to be sovereign. He should be sovereign on his own dime and the direct revenue of the Federal Republic. The IMF and World Bank, the Foreign donors and others should give him funds to cover the fiscal discrepancies he might have. Since, he clearly has money for war and fighting his own battles. Which he don’t want to say call it that, but calling it “Law Enforcement Operation” which has been going on since 3rd November 2020.

A man who wanted to be known for peace. A man who could easily mediate in foreign lands himself. However, he doesn’t want to have direct mediation in his own conflicts. Only his stories are to be sold. Everything else is to be shelved. If you speak up against him. You are speaking against the Republic. Even if you fear for the lives of civilians, refugees and the ones fleeing conflict. A war between brothers who turned guns against each other.

The Prime Minister are you hiding anything? Since you don’t want the International Community to look into your actions? Are you afraid of what their “fresh” eyes or what they might hear? Are you afraid of the outcry and the pain you have caused on civilians? Do you fear the witness reports from fleeing citizens in Sudan?

Eventually, the stories will not be in your favour. Even if you block everything and only blast your news. The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) wants their stories out to be in a good light. As they also will act with vengeance and retaliate. The TPLF will either be defensive or find an angle that make you look evil. That is all natural, just like your colouring them as treasonous people and terrorists after working with them for years in the EPRDF. This is why, I am sure and I know the TPLF have done evil in government. However, you have the army now and can cause lot of more suffering then they can at the very moment. You have the government, the army and the legitimacy as PM to cause much more harm than they can. They can finally and in the end… only create a guerrilla war, which you started on the 3rd November and will haunt you as long as you rule.

So, with all of this in mind. What are you hiding? What are you afraid of leaking or questions you cannot stomach? For a man who is bold enough to order people’s death and bombing towns with ease. How come you cannot answer questions of your donors and the ones keeping your government afloat financially?

Maybe, Mr. Prime Minister, you shouldn’t have accepted their money and their funds. If you didn’t want them to bother you. If you wanted to be totally sovereign. Your government shouldn’t have taken direct budget support. The International Community should with this message. Suspend the Direct Government Support and Budget Support. They should instead spend that on UN Organizations helping the IDPs and refugees in Sudan. They should instead help the ones who fighting for the justice, liberty and freedom within the Republic. The IC should support CSOs and NGOs who are working to help Oromos in need and Tigrayans in need now. Also, all the other places where the government use law enforcement to stifle dissent. Since, the government doesn’t want interference. Let’s support the local CSOs and NGOs who actually help the public. Not to fund a war, but fund the people in need.

Prime Minister Abiy, as long as you accept others people’s money to bankroll your government. You should expect that they will look under your skirt and question your actions. The moment you stop eating it and enjoying the perks of other people’s money. You might feel even more sovereign. Just think about that.

As long as you have military operations against your own. People will question you and your actions. Wonder how much pain, suffering and if you are violating the Geneva Convention or crimes against humanity. At this very moment we cannot know, as you are shielding the information and the flow of reports. However, with time the truth the will come out. While you are really showing your true nature to the whole wide world.

Your not a man of peace, but another War-Lord who wants to be unaccountable and only wants fanfare. Peace.

Ethiopia: Prime Minister Ahmed Ali Abiy – Adherence to the Principle of Non-Intervention in Internal Affairs (25.11.2020)

Ethiopia: Office of the Prime Minister – Federal Government Condemns the atrocities committed by TPLF in Maikadra (24.11.2020)

Ethiopia: Tigray-Ethiopian Community Association in Colorado – Urgent Call for Intervention Before It Is Too Late (23.11.2020)

Ethiopia: Global Society of Tigrai Scholars (GSTS) – Public call for opening of consultations on Ethiopia under Article 96 of the Cotonou Agreement (23.11.2020)

Ethiopia: Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) – Tigray: Maikadra Massacre of Civilians is a Crime of Atrocity (24.11.2020)

Ethiopia: Threat of major hostilities in Mekelle seriously imperils civilian lives – Bachelet (24.11.2020)

GENEVA (24 November 2020) – UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet on Tuesday urged the parties to the conflict in Tigray to give clear and unambiguous orders to their forces to take constant care to spare – and protect – the civilian population from the effect of the hostilities.

“The highly aggressive rhetoric on both sides regarding the fight for Mekelle is dangerously provocative and risks placing already vulnerable and frightened civilians in grave danger,” the High Commissioner said. “I fear such rhetoric will lead to further violations of international humanitarian law,” she added, expressing alarm at reports of a heavy build-up of tanks and artillery around Mekelle, the capital city of Tigray province following the Government’s issuance of a 72-hour ultimatum.

“Such rhetoric suggests possible breaches of the cardinal principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution in the conduct of hostilities that are designed to ensure the civilian population is protected.”

Responding to allegations that the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) is stationing itself among civilians, Bachelet stated that under international law, parties to a conflict should take all possible measures to protect the civilian population under their control from the effects of attacks, namely by avoiding, to the extent feasible, locating military objectives in densely populated areas.

“However, this does not then give the Ethiopian State carte blanche to respond with the use of artillery in densely populated areas. I remind all parties to the conflict that the obligation to respect international law is not conditional on the other party’s behavior. All parties to the conflict are bound to respect international humanitarian law and human rights law as applicable. The protection of civilians is paramount.”

In particular, the High Commissioner recalled that it is prohibited to treat as a single military objective a number of distinct military objectives located in a densely populated area.

Bachelet said she was deeply disturbed at the continuing communication blackout in Tigray province, making it very difficult for civilians to communicate with family members, and for the UN to monitor the human rights and humanitarian situation. Reports continue to emerge of arbitrary arrests and detentions, killings, as well as discrimination and stigmatization of ethnic Tigrays. More than 40,000 people have fled from Tigray province into neighbouring Sudan since 7 November.

“I implore all parties to respond positively to attempts at dialogue, and to ensure unfettered access to humanitarian assistance for those who so desperately need it, and protection and security for aid workers,” the High Commissioner said.

ACT-Wazalendo: AU and the UN has the responsibility to protect civilians in Ethiopia (24.11.2020)

Ethiopia: Europe External Programme with Africa (EEPA) – Situation Report EEPA Horn No. 5 – 22 November (22.11.2020)

Ethiopia: What happens after Mekelle, Prime Minister?

Now the continued “Law Enforcement Operation” continues as it has done since 3rd November 2020. The media black-out continues and the state enforce their rules to silence dissenting voices about their actions in the Tigray region. Surely, they would do the same if people leaked about the atrocities in Oromia as well. The Prosperity Party and Prime Minister Ahmed Ali Abiy doesn’t want everything out. Therefore, we have no clear idea what happens in Tigray and in Oromia. Both places has to be remembered.

However, the main focus these days are in Tigray region. As there is where the pressure, where the army and also foreign allies are supporting the warfare. This is done to get rid of one political party, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). The TPFL have a history, which is dark and grim. The TPLF should answer for those crimes in court and through due process. However, that is not what’s happening these days. The Prosperity Party, the former coalition party has gone head on with full armed forces attacking it.

The Prime Minister has cut of electricity, internet and blocked banking service. The government has closed of the roads and all sort of delivery of goods to the public of the Tigray region. The state has sacked and arrested people who Tigrayan ethnicity. Therefore, this war is more than just against the TPLF. They have attacked the general public too.

The Prime Minister have not only sent soldiers against civilians, he has bombed and used heavy artillery. Something he now orders and plans to do within 72 hours to the capital of the Region, Mekelle. The army has already been able to move closer and closer to it.

The Federal Government has announced that it will be no mercy and that the public needs finds shelter. The government are threatening the TPLF and everyone associated with it. Just like the world and the TPLF doesn’t know they are at war, which it has been for 20 days now. While they are both doing this. The state and the TPLF is taken all the other citizens hostage in the warfare. Ensuring innocent civilians becomes casualties and prey to their war-games.

It is hard to see what will give? Since the African Union Special Envoys seems futile. The Prime Minister is not willing to talk. Neither his generals or associates within his cabinet. The Federal Government only wants to secure the total annihilation of the TPLF. Therefore, what we can remember for this days is how the central government wasn’t willing and also to mediate to spare lives. Since, the ego of actually killing the enemy was more important.

With this in mind, what happens after the third operation in this war? What is the plan after this? Do you have any?

Because, even if the Federal Army takes Mekelle it doesn’t necessarily mean that you have conquered TPLF. It only mean you have taken the biggest city of the region. That you have bombed a city of half-million inhabitants and possible caused more havoc. This is the end-game.

The TPLF and Special Forces might flee to the hills to start insurgency battles instead. You are moving the battlefields and creating a possible guerrilla war. Where they will suddenly appear and they know their region. Well, it is their home and their hills. It is not like all the soldiers from other regions knows it as well. That they can read the terrain and have control of it. This is why, it’s like the PM is playing a big-man. However, haven’t thought ahead.

With all the war-games his playing. His only hardening the staunch supporters of the TPLF and the Tigray. As they got new grievances and pain of the general punishment from the state. The suffering put on them and their kin. It is like they are second grade citizens over night.

That is why, since there is no official game-plan only ad-hoc planning it seems from Addis Ababa. What happens after Mekelle falls? Do you have a plan for a possible insurgency and recruitment camps in the hills and rural areas of Tigray? Do you think the people of Tigray and TPLF will give way because you blasted their capital to pieces?

If you do… then your a naive man. Yes, men will bow their knees and ask for peace. Even if it is a fake peace. Because, everyone knows the war waged on the public here will haunt for a long time. It is not with an on- and off switch.

Mekelle is a step in a direction of consolidation of power for the Federal Government. However, it is not clear victory. Yes, it is a symbolic victory …

However, the game is not yet over. Prime Minister Abiy should know this. The world needs to know this. That this warfare and war-game of the PM isn’t over like that. Even if he writes some pieces stating the glorious achievement.

Still, he should prepare for the long game. Though I feel that’s not in him. It is easier just to get his way and get rid of the ones in his path. That is why he ordered the war in the first place.

So, I am just wondering… what’s next? How do you plant to do this?

Prime Minister have made the TPLF a “treasonous” and “illegal” organization, the PM have made their former legal entities of the armies into “militias”. That’s why you need a plan ahead. In the short-term there is a lot of gains for you and your allies. However, in the end… can these back-fire and someone else can return the favour? Have the Prime Minister considered that?

This “Law Enforcement Operation” will not be quick-fix. That can be long lasting and the heartache it has created can last for a generation. Not like the ones losing loved ones, the ones scorned by soldiers or the ones fleeing their villages. Will not remember the devastation that meet them.

It is something that will haunt them. This was done by their government towards their regional leadership. The PM better have some good plans and legislation ahead, better have aid packages and rebuilding projects lined up. Since, he ordered this and need to fix everything was broken during these days of warfare. His the man in-charge and his accountable for it.

That’s why the PM needs to address the inevitable. It is easy to come with warnings and threaten the opponent. However, what happens after Mekelle? Peace.