It Takes Two to Tango

The most civilized, least expensive, safest, and swiftest way out of conflicts and disputes is a negotiated settlement. That is the shortcut road to peace. It is attainable with a genuine commitment to make peace and willingness to compromise with all parties involved in the dispute/conflict.

In other words, conflicts could not be avoided by the desire and the unilateral effort of the one side only. As they say, it takes two to tango. One cannot clap with a single hand. Peace is achieved only through collaborative efforts, shared vision, will, and commitment.

From the start, the Abiy administration has left no stone unturned to avoid the breakout out of the 9-month conflict in the Tigray region. And after eight months through the war, about a month ago, the federal government made a surprising unilateral decision to give peace another chance declaring an unconditional ceasefire. The ENDF [Ethiopian National Defence Forces] willingly pulled out of Tigray and waited for the reaction of the outlawed rebel group, TPLF. Instead of appropriately reciprocating the peaceful gestures extended by the government, TPLF announced its shocking reply.

Mistaking the government’s craving for peace and reconciliation for admission of defeat and signs of weakness, TPLF terrorist group has sworn to continue the fighting. Since Tigray came under the control of TPLF, thousands of civilians were massacred in the region. The lawlessness and the human rights violations have become pervasive. The junta leaders are doing this is on purpose, to terrorize the Tigray people into submission to their wishes and orders. And they also want to preempt any attempt of insurrection. In doing so, TPLF terrorist group has trampled on its obligations to protect civilians, observe international humanitarian law, and provide unconditional humanitarian access to the needy.

Actually, the humanitarian situation in the region is worse than it was a month earlier when much of Tigray was under government control. The culprit for this tragedy is undoubtedly TPLF terrorist group. The federal government has been demonstrating its unwavering commitment to the safety and welfare of the Tigray people. After all, one of the objectives of the declaration of the unilateral ceasefire is to facilitate urgent humanitarian aid, and support for unhindered agricultural activities in the region. Federal authorities have allowed the continuation of humanitarian activities in the region. Even the government has arranged the resumption flights to Tigray for humanitarian purposes.

Nevertheless, various aid agencies working in Tigray have confirmed the worsening of the humanitarian crisis in the region in the wake of the return of TPLF terrorist group back to Mekelle. The latest situation report by OCHA “More than eight months on since the start of the conflict in Tigray Region, the humanitarian situation remains alarmingly dire and is expected to deteriorate further, as aid organizations continue to report major challenges to deliver assistance to people affected.” Instead of prioritizing and focusing on solutions to address the humanitarian crisis, the TPLF is currently fully engaged in spreading the conflict to the neighboring regions.

Reports are coming from Mekelle stating that TPLF terrorist group has used the distribution of food aid as an instrument of coercing the Tigray people into its warmongering missions. The TPLF operatives and cadres see to it that families whose daughters and sons failed to conscript into the TPLF would not get the food handouts. Some sources suggest that TPLF also redirects the food aid and oil supplies intended for the people to fuel its terror campaign and use the food aid to ration its rebel army.

These inhumane and criminal acts of the terrorist group would not surprise us, given we know its track record as a rebel group well experienced in thriving at the expense of the misery of the Tigray people. During the ‘80s famine, TPLF terrorist group leaders have used the humanitarian aid they received on behalf of the Tigray people to buy arms and finance their overseas travel expenses. This fact was the subject of an investigative report by the BBC in 2010.

Another BBC documentary revealed in 2011 that TPLF was using development aid as a tool for political oppression. It denied villagers and communities access to donated food, credit, seeds, and fertilizers, etc.

So TPLF terrorist group is now exploiting the ceasefire situation to advance its political agenda and terror campaigns contrary to the intended peaceful goals and the objectives of the ceasefire. What is even more disappointing, the Junta has tried to widen the conflict zone beyond the Tigray region, carrying out raids on both neighboring states of Amhara and Afar.

Despite the continued call for unilateral ceasefire and time for reflection by the federal government, TPLF terrorist group has been continually sending in a swarm of poorly trained youth, the elderly, and underage children into the frontline to provoke the Ethiopian defense forces and the regional security forces stationed in the area. The terroristTPLF rebels have reportedly shelled residential areas and public buildings like health centers in the Amhara and Afar regions. They have also summarily executed civilians and looted private and public properties in towns and woredas of the two regions bordering the Tigray.

All the pleas made and the peace initiatives taken by the federal government have fallen on deaf ears of the TPLF terrorist group. From what we gather from the racist and fascist speeches of the TPLF leaders and their media, they have nothing in their evil minds except to dismantle Ethiopia. The terrorist group has now declared the ultimate goal it had been holding close to its chest for so long. The impossible dream of throwing Ethiopia in the fire of endless civil war, and breaking the Tigray region away from Ethiopia against the will of the Tigray people.

The sad thing here is the so-called international community led by the Americans and Europeans has continued to keep their mouth shut about the TPLF’s refusal of the government’s peace initiatives and its continued belligerence and crimes against humanity. No one had expected the western powers and the international media, UN agencies, and international NGOs could get so low in revealing their hypocrisy and making a mockery of human rights.

TPLF’s intention of erasing Ethiopia from the world map has galvanized Ethiopians to stand in unison to defend their motherland. An analyst says this is the fourth time in their recent history when Ethiopians mobilized themselves with such a staggering scale. The first time was for Adwa; then against the Somalia invasion in the 70s, after that Ethio-Eritrean war in the 90s. There is one thing that makes the latest roar of Ethiopians different from the previous three. The previous ones were against foreign invaders, while the present one is against a pack of terrorist traitors.

It is now crystal clear to all those with a rational mind that TPLF terrorist group has neither the desire nor intentions to dance with any tune of peace; it chose to persists in continuing to rap with the drum of war. It has labeled its fellow Ethiopians as the enemy, rather than brothers.

Ethiopian across the nation have already started demonstrating their determination to neutralize TPLF intransigence once and for all. People in various towns and cities have taken to the streets to express their unconditional support to the Ethiopian Defense Forces, ENDF. We have seen a series of youth groups that willingly decided to sign up for ENDF to defend their motherland.

Farmers are donating their cattle, and workers are pledging their salaries to support the survival campaign to assert Ethiopia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Women in various parts of the country are voluntarily teamed up to prepare dry rations for the defense forces. When Ethiopians mobilize with such vigor and rigor, both friends and foes know what will follow. Ethiopia is going to prevail over her enemies.

BY SOLOMON WASSIHUN

The Ethiopian Herald 29 July 2021

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