2 years, 4 months ago-
TPLF will go on to wage a guerrilla war
The fighting in Tigray Province in northern Ethiopia has been going on for a month. Thousands of people are believed to have been killed and tens of thousands have fled to neighboring Sudan. On one side of the conflict is the “Liberation Front of the Tigrean People”, TPLF, which wants more self-determination. The movement ruled Ethiopia for 27 years, between 1991 and 2018. On the other side is the government and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. When Abiy Ahmed came to power in 2018, the TPLF felt marginalized. Leaders of the movement were fired and accused of corruption.
They retreated to their home province of Tigray in the north. After a long period of tension, it exploded into a war in early November. TPLF has its own army, a lot of weapons and great war experience. In addition, they have a lot of self-confidence because it was the TPLF that overthrew the dictator Mengistu. They seem to be convinced that they are strong enough to take on the entire Ethiopian army.
But Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019, has been adamant in his rhetoric and actions. He says he does not want to negotiate until the TPLF is defeated and disarmed. Announced the operation completed After several weeks of fierce fighting, government forces captured Tigray’s provincial capital Mekele last weekend, and Prime Minister Abiy announced that the operation was now complete.
Telephone and internet have been completely turned off in Tigray. In some places it will be running again, but it is still difficult to know exactly what is happening in the region. But according to information that has come out, fighting is still going on in several places in the province. And refugees continue to come to Sudan. When the rebels lost control of the provincial capital, they took refuge in the countryside and up in the mountains.
TPLF does not give up According to TPLF’s leader Debretsion Gebremichael, the group will not give up. He says his forces will continue to fight for their right to self-determination. It is likely now that the TPLF will go on to wage a guerrilla war against the central government. The “Liberation Front of the Tigranian people” has long experience of guerrilla warfare during the 1980s when they fought against the Marxist government.
Then as now, they can take advantage of the inaccessible terrain with mountains and ravines, where only those with local knowledge can find. The war in Tigray may be going on for a long time to come.
Ethiopia Autonomous Media
UNHCR stands ready to resume its full humanitarian activities
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, stands ready to resume its full humanitarian activities in the Tigray region as soon as the situation allows, following an agreement to restore access.
The agreement was reached recently between the UN in the country and the Federal Government to facilitate access to aid organizations to provide assistance to civilians affected by the month-long conflict.
In Shire in Tigray, UNHCR staff in the town together with partners have already distributed water, high energy biscuits, clothes, mattresses, sleeping mats and blankets to an estimated 5,000 internally displaced.
However, we continue to receive disturbing reports regarding the Eritrean refugee camps in the region, which remain incommunicado. The details of damages and disruptions remain unknown until we are able to reach them and verify the information.
UNHCR is discussing with the federal government’s refugee agency on logistics arrangements, and the need to assess the security situation before the resumption of humanitarian activities.
Fears are that many Eritrean refugees may have already fled the camp in search of safety.
Meanwhile, inside neighbouring Sudan, Ethiopian refugee arrivals continue with the total number have now crossed 47,000. More than 1,000 arrived yesterday, the majority in the evening. Refugees are telling UNHCR of more people on the move in search of safety. A small number of Eritrean refugees have also arrived from the Tigray region in recent days.
UNHCR, together with the Sudanese authorities, has moved some 11,150 refugees from Hamdayet and Abderafi border points to Um Rakuba camp – 70 kilometres away from the Ethiopian border.
Many refugees say they prefer to remain near the border to wait for family members still in Ethiopia, or in hopes they will be able to return home soon – including farmers, who have fled during the harvesting season. But refugees also say they are fearful of more violence inside Tigray.
Ethiopia Autonomous Media
Tirunesh Dibaba Olympic and world champion
The Ethiopian, who possesses one of the silkiest running styles and deadliest kicks in history (and subsequent biggest smiles), won three Olympic golds and nine world titles.
Tirunesh Dibaba, Olympic and world champion in the women’s 5,000m and 10,000m, there is no one in the world like her…….
For those who remember her as a baby-faced assassin, it’s hard to fathom that Tirunesh Dibaba has now reached veteran status at the age of 35.
The Ethiopian, who possesses one of the silkiest running styles and deadliest kicks in history (and subsequent biggest smiles), won three Olympic golds and nine world titles.
In terms of track world titles, Dibaba won the 5000m and 10,000m double in 2007 with respective last laps of 58.2 and 58.4, as well as winning the 10,000m title in both 2007 and 2013 and the 2017 10,000m silver.
Between 2005 and 2012, she won 12 successive races over 25 laps.
Ethiopia Autonomous Media
Tigray community in London, U.K
Our selfless volunteers from the Tigray community in London, U.K sorting and folding donations that will be sent to Sudan on Tuesday for the displaced people of Tigray as a result of Abiy Ahmed Ali war waged on the innocent people of Tigray.
Thank you so much Tigray citizens who live in UK for your contribution this greatest things to our people. Amazing work for love of people, humanity and the resilient people of Tigray!!
Ethiopia Autonomous Media
farmer from Ethiopia
“It was harvest season. I was in my sorghum field when the men arrived. I saw the one who shot me,” says Naga Shokole, a farmer from Ethiopia.
His wife, Yayish, found him wounded. They fled with their daughter in a small cart with their donkeys to Sudan.Ethiopia Autonomous Media
stateless Tigrayan refugees
As far as we Tigrayans are concerned, we are stateless & we don’t yet have a country to return to. It is the obligation of the international community & international humanitarian organisations not to force Tigrayan refugees in Sudan to return to Ethiopian without their consent.
Ethiopia Autonomous Media
Danish Refugee Council (DRC)
The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) is deeply saddened to confirm the death of three colleagues in Tigray Region, Ethiopia last month. DRC’s humanitarian workers are at the forefront of the humanitarian imperative to provide assistance to those in need, and these colleagues – who worked as guards in one of our project sites – were an integral part of DRC’s work in Ethiopia. Sadly, due to the lack of communications and ongoing insecurity in the region, it has not yet been possible to reach their families. We will continue all efforts to reach them and ensure that they receive support.
The safety and security of our humanitarian workers is a top priority for DRC, and we are doing all we can to keep them safe in the current challenging circumstances. Our staff serve critical functions to deliver support to vulnerable populations in need. DRC urges all parties to respect international humanitarian law, including the protection of both civilians and humanitarian aid workers. We extend our heartfelt condolences to all those affected.
Ethiopia Autonomous Media
killing of a staff member in Hitsats Refugee Camp in Shire
The IRC regrets to confirm the killing of a staff member in Hitsats Refugee Camp in Shire, Ethiopia. We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of our colleague; our in-country staff are the very heart of our work and are key in our ability to provide support and assistance to our clients.
Communication with the area is extremely difficult and we are still working to gather and confirm the details surrounding the events that led to the death of our colleague.Ethiopia’s Tigray region has been experiencing an intense bout of conflict since early November, which has forced almost 50,000 people to seek refuge in Sudan. The IRC is working in Tigray to support 96,000 refugees in four camps with a range of services, including clean water, sanitation, and education.
We call on all parties to the conflict to agree to an immediate ceasefire and ensure civilians, including refugees and aid workers, are protected and able to continue to access and deliver life saving services.
Ethiopia Autonomous Media
more than 63,000 people have been recorded as “internally displaced”
A UN spokesperson said Tuesday that more than 63,000 people have been recorded as “internally displaced” in Ethiopia Tigray, but the UN hopes to know the true number once the world body has more access.
Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, told the regular press briefing that in Ethiopia, the UN continues to engage at the highest levels with the federal government to work out operational details “to guarantee humanitarian access.”
“We are also working to scale up humanitarian assistance in the Tigray region once access is re-established,” he said.
“In the meantime, our humanitarian colleagues tell us that arrangements are being made to deploy surge teams to different areas in Tigray, Afar and Amhara, and that supplies – including food, health, emergency shelter, and other items – are being continuously mobilized,” he added.
The spokesperson said that in neighboring Sudan, UN humanitarian teams there have said that “there are still challenges to help the increasing number of refugees crossing the border.”
“Water, hygiene and sanitation services are extremely limited in all transit centers, as well as in Um Raquba settlement, to where over 16,000 refugees have now been relocated,” said the spokesperson.
More than 50,000 people have now fled to Sudan since the beginning of the conflict in Tigray, which started in early November, Dujarric added.
The crisis erupted early last month during clashes between Tigray rebels and the federal government, cutting civilians from necessities, forcing tens of thousands to flee their homes and refugee camps running out of supplies.
Ethiopia Autonomous Media
Fano militia from the province of Amhara
The United Nations is striving to get a team on the ground to investigate alleged human rights violations including a mass killing in Ethiopia’s Tigray, described by the U.N. rights chief as one of many “appalling” human rights abuses that could amount to war crimes.
Ethiopia’s army has been fighting rebellious forces in the northern Tigray region for over six weeks in a conflict that has displaced close to 950,000 people. Access for humanitarian workers has until recent days been impossible and rights workers are now seeking access on the ground to verify reports.
“If civilians were deliberately killed by a party or parties to the conflict, these killings would amount to war crimes and there needs to be, as I have stressed previously, independent, impartial, thorough and transparent investigations to establish accountability and ensure justice,” U.N. human rights chief Michelle Bachelet said on Tuesday, describing incidents there as “heart-breaking” and “appalling”.
One of the events she mentioned was the alleged killing of several hundred people, mainly Amharans, in the north-western town of Mai Kadra on Nov. 9.
She also described other incidents including artillery strikes on populated areas, the deliberate targeting of civilians, extrajudicial killings and widespread looting.
U.N. rights office (OHCHR) spokeswoman Liz Throssell later told a Geneva virtual briefing that her office had been holding talks with the Ethiopian government and was aiming to prepare a team to verify rights abuses as soon as possible.
She said that some of the incidents of individual killings of civilians were blamed on the “Fano” militia from the province of Amhara, thought to be aligned with the government. Reporters received similar reports from displaced Tigrayans.
However, information obtained by the U.N. consistently pointed to violations by all parties to the conflict, she added.
Until now, the U.N. has been monitoring the situation remotely and has obtained some of its information from refugees among the tens of thousands who have fled to neighbouring Sudan.
Both sides deny their forces have committed atrocities, and blame other forces for the killing of civilians. Accounts on all sides are difficult to verify because telecommunications links were down for most of the conflict and the government tightly controls access to the region.
Ethiopia Autonomous Media
the crisis in Ethiopia
The European Union is closely following the crisis in Ethiopia. The EU remains concerned by the humanitarian situation, as well as allegations of human rights violations and ethnic targeting. Ongoing reports of non-Ethiopian involvement raise additional worries.
The conflict and its regional impact are of growing concern for the international community. The EU commends Sudan, which has opened its borders to those fleeing this conflict.
It is of paramount importance that hostilities cease completely, that civilians are protected and that all parties to the conflict uphold international humanitarian law, including ensuring the safety of aid workers. Unimpeded humanitarian access to all people in need in all affected areas of the country must be guaranteed, to carry out needs assessments, deliver response and monitor aid in line with the humanitarian principles of impartiality, neutrality, and independence. The EU welcomes the recent steps taken to this end and urges the Ethiopian government to pursue its efforts. All refugees and displaced people within Tigray and beyond must be effectively protected, including preventing any act of forced and premature relocation or return. The EU welcomes work that has been initiated to restore telecommunication to some parts of Tigray. It is crucial that communication channels and media access are reinstated and guaranteed.
As a longstanding friend of Ethiopia, the EU is deeply concerned by recent reports, including from the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission, on grave violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law.
Furthermore, reports of ethnically targeted violence in Benishangul-Gumuz as well as all other allegations of violations of human rights and international humanitarian law need to be impartially investigated and accountability ensured.
The EU encourages all parties to seize the opportunities offered, most recently by high-level envoys of the African Union and the IGAD Summit, to put an end to the conflict and to help establish a dialogue within Ethiopia to address issues of peace and coexistence through consultation and consensus. The European Union stands ready to support Ethiopia in these efforts.
Ethiopia Autonomous Media
Metekel Massacre
After the crime is committed, why didn’t the gov’t at least send forces to handle the bodies in dignified manner? Remember the Ethiopian State provides “peacekeepers” including police all over Africa, none available at home!!
Benishangul people displaced forcefully from Jawi to Gilgel beles city. So sad! The recent MASSACRES in Mikadra and now on Benishangul Gumuz Metekel Massacre should be seen, condemned and reported by the world.
Please let us be one hand, one heart as usual,, no more crying no more tears…. enough…. We are Ethiopians!!!Ethiopia Autonomous Media
Flag of Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. 
His wife, Yayish, found him wounded. They fled with their daughter in a small cart with their donkeys to Sudan.
Communication with the area is extremely difficult and we are still working to gather and confirm the details surrounding the events that led to the death of our colleague.
Please let us be one hand, one heart as usual,, no more crying no more tears…. enough…. We are Ethiopians!!!You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
