(so much so, that a vast place known as Asha Golgol near Asmara has been packed with these stolen vehicles)—looted. In fact, looked at from a bit of a distance, this all-out campaign resembles a battle strategy, with the entire population of Tigray identified as enemy combatants. Eritrea should be given an ultimatum of only a few days to pack its armaments and get out of Tigray. Alliances are made within and across borderlines, even across the sea, to subjugate those on the way of a multiple redrawing, both physical and mental, representing various geopolitical interests; ranging from sub-national to regional. To annihilate TPLF and forcibly crush and subdue the people of Tigray, fences have to be erected around the region. ogether with the federal and Amhara forces, The escalating carnage in Oromia is not letting up, Oromo hunger strikers in mortal danger in Ethiopia, Ethiopia: A vulnerable state at risk of collapse. Having thus encircled them, the ravages of war are employed in wiping out as many of the ‘enemy combatants’ as possible before the world takes full notice of what is going on. In the latest Freedom House rankings, Eritrea even slipped behind Kim Jong Un’s hermit kingdom. All kinds of services—water, electricity, telephone, health, education, banks, transportation, etc.—have been destroyed, cut off, or denied. Ethiopia is haunted by ghosts of its violent history. Dec 1, 2019: President Isaias Afwerki received today at State House Sudanese senior delegation led by the Vice-Chairman of the Sovereign Council, Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. Given the world’s short memory and the ‘indispensability of Ethiopia’ to the region, they believe the world would have no alternative but to accommodate them. This article was first published in Ethiopia Insight.. Two weeks later, President Isaias Afwerki of Eritrea formally reciprocated. ; the destruction of Tigray’s historical and cultural heritage, with many such sites, vandalized and destroyed and their artifacts looted; the dismembering of its territory, with about one third given to Amhara and a large section along the border to Eritrea, beyond what it has ever claimed before; the making of atrocity crimes by inducing famine and hunger through the ravages of the war and then letting it run its course unhindered. Better late than never, the EU also seems to support that idea now. You started your tirade, with a lie. Another even bigger elephant in the room that the EU has overlooked: the Eritrean army in Tigray. And this morbid policy to starve the Tigrayan masses to submission is not limited to peasants; the urban population is facing the same fate. Even with all the support it has been getting from Eritrea, the chance of winning the war is getting slimmer and slimmer by the day. When it comes to Tigray, it does not wish to abide by the drawing of borders along linguistic lines that makes the foundation for the federal system in Ethiopia. They agreed to upgrade the all-rounded 2018 Asmara Agreement. President Isaias Afwerki’s erratic and mercurial temperament – he has been the head of a one-party dictatorship since independence in 1993 – has culminated in a profoundly dysfunctional nation. Where have you been when TPLF committed crime against Ethiopian people for 27 years? If one is to settle the land with Amhara peasants, one must first clear the Tigrayan peasants. Teklemariam Bekit BBC Tigrinya, Nairobi. This probably is the clearest sign that all the coded phrases that Abiy has been using go beyond implicating the TPLF. Friday, April 7, 2000, 2 p.m. EDT. He is a desperate man, and the US shouldn’t allow him to take his revenge on Tigray once more before he goes down. Even though the overwhelming majority in these areas are Tigrigna speaking, the Amhara region wants to redraw it with different criteria in mind. President Isaias Afwerki and President Mohammed Abdullahi Mohammed held extensive talks at the State House today focusing on bolstering the Eritrea-Somalia cooperation framework and consolidation of a strong, independent, and sovereign Somalia. There is an age-old tempo that peasants follow in harvest time depending on the type of soil, elevation, weather, and crop. Even when allowed, various obstacles are set along the road to Mekelle and from Mekelle to the outskirts—all with the government’s blessing. Second, the notion of brutal Eritrean soldiers terrorizing residents and looting everything on their way will be exposed. TPLF also thought they could manipulate the Oromo and Amhara elite against each other indefinitely. More importantly, the world can be assured the aid that reaches the most affected areas won’t be stolen only if the looting army of Eritrea is gone for good. First, the images of carnage and destruction taking place all over Tigray—abandoned villages, burned-out homes, collapsed buildings, looted universities, ransacked health centers, demolished factories, burned-out military vehicles, vandalized worship places, torched harvests, crowded IDP camps, etc.—will only add to the negative image of a government that still claims it is on a ‘law and order’ mission. Even if Ethiopia is forced to give access to the areas the rebels do not control, it doesn’t amount much without factoring in Eritrea’s role since most of those who need it most happen to live in territories occupied by Eritrean troops. Among those who successfully arrived at the refugee camps, many were emaciated, dehydrated, and exhausted, some losing loved ones while en route. Other measures supplement this famine policy that the government is attentively undertaking. The looting and murderous army of Eritrea would find it hard to explain its extended presence. the total destruction of Tigray’s developmental and infrastructural projects: hospitals, clinics, schools, universities, factories, businesses, farms, banks, hotels, markets, private and public buildings, etc. Not only had it turned the entire nation into an extensive military camp, mobilizing its entire population, it had also indoctrinated a generation with ‘anti-Tigray’ ideology. The destruction and looting of banks by the invading forces have also exacerbated this problem, something that the government doesn’t seem to mind. The ‘27 years of darkness’ was meant to erase anything that TPLF or Tigray has contributed in those years. It is intended to prevent the world from witnessing the policy of starvation and its consequences on a timely basis. Even if we assume that it wants to help the people in areas under its control, two of its allies- Amhara and Eritrea – do not want this to happen. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and President Isaias Afwerki have demonstrated courageous leadership by taking these steps toward peace. This wanton destruction followed the troops from Shire to the west to Zalambessa to the east, an arch of hundreds of kilometers. Share page. That is the only way the world can avoid a potential genocide of epic proportion, one that could easily surpass that of Rwanda in a month or two.. They even burned the chaff, which is used to feed the oxen and donkeys, making sure that these animals too would die of starvation—that is, if they haven’t already been killed or eaten by them. Nineteen years ago today, on February 2nd 2002, Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki corrupted the Eritrean Parliament into taking measures that were effectively institutional suicide. Besides, it delayed the exchange of old notes with new ones, making it almost impossible for those living in remote areas to beat the deadline. One of the greatest miscalculation of TPLF i is the mistreatments of Amharas in Wolkiate/Tsegede and Raya regions. Most of those who have stayed or returned live in utter destitution, with most of their possessions destroyed or looted. Civilians must be able to seek refuge in neighboring countries… Communication lines and media access to Tigray should be fully re-established.”. The three parties overseeing the war on Tigray—Isaias, Abiy, and the Amhara nationalists— are not only the architects of the total war but also of the ethnic-cleansing, each party playing a distinct role. And wherever civil services have been started, salary payments have been delayed. The more their losses on the battlefield, the more they depend on the famine to deliver that victory. The ethnic cleansing that the Amhara forces are conducting would be unable to continue in stealth. It has done everything from drastically reducing cash flow in Tigray to creating mass unemployment. The bureaucratic obstacles have been one of the Abiy administration’s biggest weapons in its deny-and-delay strategy. And, as we speak, the government is putting a Potemkin show in Mekelle for the “reconstruction of Tigray” meant for the consumption of the outside world—another deny-and-delay strategy. Even as the involvement of Eritrea in the Tigray war has surprised many, though not unexpected, it is the extent of the brutality, depravity, and irreverence displayed by the Eritrean troops with which they have conducted their invasion that has caught many off surprise: massive lootings of anything they could carry; wanton destruction of anything of worth; large-scale displacement of peasants through continuous terrorization; civilian massacres in places they pass through or are stationed; hunting down of young men, especially if they happen to be educated; destruction of refugee camps, followed by killings, forced conscription, and abduction; wide-spread raping of girls and women, even in gangs, and sometimes taken as hostages for days; the lack of respect for anything traditional, with vindictive targeting of historical, cultural and religious sites, vandalizing churches and mosques and looting artifacts, etc. It is the same thing when these marauding Eritrean troops occupy towns and cities. From the outset, Prime Minister Abiy saw blaming the TPLF for all of Ethiopia’s ills and misfortunes as an important strategy to galvanize public support for his administration. I guess they thought they can manipulate both elites indefinitely, forgetting that there are no permanent enemies, only permanent interests. No wonder that Isaias, Abiy, and the Amhara nationalists are furious that the world is intervening just as they were about to declare a mission  accomplished, with all the help they could get from the famine. Second, one of the main reasons for Abiy’s reluctance to let in humanitarian groups and media is the heavy presence of Eritrean troops and the horror that follows them wherever they go. The evicted Tigrayans were left in limbo. ); and extensive elimination of livelihoods in towns and cities (with the destruction of factories, businesses, health centers, universities, hotels, civil service buildings, etc.) The delegation delivered messages from King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud as well as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to President Isaias. The United States also welcomes Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki’s June 20, 2018 commitment to send a delegation to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to advance the peace process. Can it be redeemed? The EU assessments fail because they do not truly comprehend the nature of the beasts involved in this genocide. The EU has rightly identified the three main problem areas that the Abiy government is unwilling to do, but it fails to see the overarching policy that motivates the three partners-in-crime. That is why when they leave the villages that they have visited, even briefly, it is as if swarms of locusts have visited them. But the main focus should be on Eritrea, and with a big stick behind it. That is why the final offensive is mainly coming at the expense of Eritrea, with the mobilization of the last kind—women, child-soldiers, and retired men included—being scraped from the hollowed-out population of Eritrea. They have become de facto Amhara districts, with Amhara administrators and bureaucrats taking charge in all positions. TPLF issued their fair share of provocative statements, but once the Amhara nationalists noticed Abiy’s dog whistle messaging, the mental and physical preparations needed for the final military assault that was already underway were accelerated. Here too, the EU seems to see the motive behind this move, as it demands, “Civilians must be able to seek refuge in neighboring countries.”. First, there is no way that the Abiy government could defeat the Tigray forces without Eritrea’s help since it remains the backbone of the tripartite alliance. Second, not only is the Abiy Ahmed regime letting the famine run its course unchecked, it is actively inducing it. the wiping out of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), its leadership, and its army; the degradation of Tigray’s elite, with its higher learning institutions and schools, looted or destroyed, and many of their attendants forced to flee the towns and cities. They might even count on the largesse of their Arab neighbors to fill in the deficit. Ethiopia, too, should be given an ultimatum to open a humanitarian corridor. Now we have a calamity in Tigray, and the possibility of calamities in Amhara region and Eritrea. And, second, he has cut off telephone and Internet services. Interesting Facts About President Isaias Afwerki Despite being among the most accomplished leaders in the world today, President Isaias Afwerki is also one of the most demonized politicians in Africa. If he is forced to withdraw his troops prematurely, it would be the beginning of his end. Recently, limited telephone service started in Mekelle and a few other towns after pressure from outside. Many are still trapped in between, with the path to Sudan blocked, and with no chance of going back from the villages, they were violently evicted. Isaias Afwerki was born in Asmara on Saturday, February 2, 1946 (Baby Boomers Generation). The extent of ethnic cleansing conducted in West Tigray must have been massive, at minimum, involving hundreds of thousands of Tigrayans. Given the slowness with which aid is trickling to Tigray, these peasants will be the first victims of the famine. At a sub-national level, the Amhara region deployed tens of thousands of Special Forces and militias. President Isaias Afwerki and his delegagtion returned home in early afternoon hours today after a three-day working visit to Egypt for extensive talks on bilateral ties […] President Isaias Afwerki and his delegagtion returned home in early afternoon hours today after a three-day working visit to Egypt for extensive talks on bilateral ties and regional issues. This was too much of a temptation for the vindictive Eritrean troops, who looted much of the stored grains and torched the rest at all stages. Oct 21 (Reuters) - Eritrea's president Isaias Afwerki spoke to Reuters for more than an hour on Wednesday in a scenic safe house on the outskirts of the capital, Asmara. The delegation delivered messages from King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud as well as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to President Isaias. President Isaias Afwerki welcomed the chairman upon arrival at Asmara International Airport. The government might eventually force them to comply, but only when it, in turn, is forced to comply by the outside world. The president of Eritrea, Isaias Afwerki, and his wife, Saba Haile, a former freedom fighter, lived in their own small house, but they recived me at the Presidential Palace. Even as it opened some banks later, it deliberately froze bank accounts of the entire urban population by prohibiting any withdrawals. Many aid workers have been deliberately stranded in Addis Ababa, entangling them with visa requirements. So far, the world is letting this happen, even as it watches total war waged against Tigray, with all the warning signs of genocide in the making across the region. Abiy has repeatedly declared that “ኢትዮጵያ አትፈርስም or Ethiopia will continue” at all cost, even if millions have to die. The EU has identified the strategy for what it is: “International humanitarian law is not about giving access to government-controlled areas… International humanitarian law means giving access to all areas where people need us, and it’s evident that this is not the case with the current agreement. Then the leaders held a discussion at the state House and the situation in Sudan was the main agenda, based on a report by Eritrea’s Ministry of Education. With the ascent of Abiy to power, the hate campaign came out in the open through legitimate means. How did Abiy Ahmed lose the Oromo street that propelled him to power? Oct 28, 2018 - He is truly a “people’s President’ Found of his people. With starvation a sure thing; all the peasants could do now is coil up and wait for death, or wait for the world to help. Finally, all the horrendous humanitarian crimes associated with Eritrea would come to an abrupt end, to the great relief of the traumatized people of Tigray and the remaining Eritrean refugees. They considered themselves to be the primary custodians. Again, when they are done and over with, nothing is left for the dwellers except to abandon the place altogether or to lie low, living in precarious conditions. This is what Gebremeskel Kassa, the head of the region’s Interim Administration, had to say, “There are 2.2 million Internally Displaced People (IDPs) in Tigray, half of them are whose houses were burnt and lost all their properties, the other half fled by foot from western Tigray and other places in Tigray to regional cities including Axum, Shire, Adigrat and Mekelle.”. But there is one thing that, surprisingly, the government is not denying: its ethnic profiling of Tigrayans, with tens of thousands relieved from their jobs because they are considered security risks, even in civilian jobs like the Ethiopian Airlines. Nobody has declared war on Tgray, but the tplf attacked the Northern Command & got the ball rolling. There is no doubt that Isaias and Abiy will test the will of the US before they relent. I do not know how to give comments to such , Evil , murder, to this individual person called himself prime P/M who is not elected by the people! Thus, the key to solving the humanitarian crisis in Tigray is the withdrawal of Eritrean troops from Tigray. They estimate the loss of 4.8 million livestock. The Famine Early Warning System has put it at Phase 4 (emergency), after which comes Phase 5—the famine itself. Besides, in many towns, the residents’ entire food supply has been looted, especially in towns and cities close to Eritrea. Did you protest on the streets? Amharas, Tigrays and Eritreans need to walk back out of their self inflicted disaster somehow. At a national level, the Ethiopian government, run by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, deployed most of its federal troops and Special Forces enlisted from other regions (kilil). We told the Ethiopians that we stand ready to negotiate something different, but what is now on the table is not working.”, Not only is the Abiy government deliberately obstructing aid from reaching needy people, but it is also doing its utmost to prevent people from going to where assistance is found. Soon after that, they will be amenable to ‘negotiations’ with the world at large. Stay on top of Government latest developments on the ground with Al Jazeera’s fact-based news, exclusive video footage, photos and updated maps. Masses of people are then made to move with such drawings, as imaginary lines are made to move back and forth, with all the brutalities needed to accomplish such tasks, to satisfy the elite in Addis Ababa, Bahir Dar, and Asmara. The refusal to let any humanitarian organizations or relief agencies get free access to Tigray derives from this policy. The Amhara elites have been pointing out that the 1984/85 famine’s global aid helped the Woyanie win the war and shouldn’t be repeated. He graduated from Prince Makonnen High School in …

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