2. Ethiopia: What Transpired over the Past Year, the Way Ahead

Credit: Office of the Prime Minister of Ethiopia

• Remembering November 3

On the dawn of November 3, 2020, the Tigray People Liberation Front (TPLF) renegades attacked the Northern Command of the Ethiopia National Defense Force and killed thousands of Ethiopian army officers and their families - a barbaric and cruel act. The Northern Command was composed of men and women who came from different geographic parts and ethnic backgrounds of the country. It was a command force that stood with unreserved patriotism and dedication to protect the people and territory of their country that made them stand in unison over 20 years.

Negative elements loyal to the TPLF attacked this federal military base at multiple locations in Tigray early on November 3 after jamming military communications. This negative elements took control of the headquarters of the Northern Command in Mekelle stabbing behind the back the command force that protects the national sovereignty. This utter betrayal left thousands of Ethiopian soldiers dead and left some others in captives. As per the law of the land the Government has an obligation to protect the sovereignty of the country when the attack from within was inflected.

Hence, the government launched a law enforcement operation with the aim to apprehend leaders of the criminal group and bring them to justice, as well as free military officers that were in the hands of the criminal group. The federal government was able to achieve its stated objectives within short span of time. However, the remnants of the TPLF clique that went in hiding had since protracted the situation by running a selfish operation at the expense of the people including by creating human shield and conscripting child soldiers.

• TPLF’s intransigence and the ensued conflict

Since the government led by Dr. Abiy Ahmed came to power, it has been trying its level best, for two and half years, to create a political dialogue process with the TPLF and other political parties in the country as part of the reform. The TPLF, however, remained intransigent to any form of dialogue and ended up provoking a conflict by attacking the Northern Command of the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) on early November 2020.

Once the law enforcement operation was concluded, the government’s focus shifted into rebuilding what had been lost during the operation as well as supplying the needed humanitarian support to the people of Tigray. For over eight months, the government was covering 70% of the total humanitarian provisions. It has also invited UN agencies, several humanitarian organizations into the region, with the intent of intensifying the humanitarian provision to reach the people in need. However, the remnants of the clique in hiding had pursued a selfish act of prolonging the conflict by regrouping and immersing the peaceful people in Tigray as a human weave. Everything had to be sacrificed to fuel the conflict.

• Zero Tolerance on human rights violations

In the process of this conflict various unfortunate incidents have happened, including alleged human rights violations and gender-based violence. The government had underlined its zero tolerance on such violations and launched investigations through its judiciary body. The government had also invited regional as well as international relevant bodies to carry out an independent investigation. The UNOHCHR and Ethiopian Human Right Commission (EHRC) have in this case run months long investigation and issued a final report on the 3rd of November 2021. The Government, keeping its promise, has welcomed the investigation report and announced the establishment of an inter-ministerial task force, with a view to implement the indicated recommendations. It was however regrettable and unacceptable to witness a politically motivated parallel monitoring mechanism launched in December by the UNOHCHR without even waiting for the process of the inter-ministerial task force to conclude its work.

• Turning points: from declaring unilateral cease fire to the Prime

Minister leading the troops to victory

On June 28, 2021, the Government of Ethiopia declared a unilateral ceasefire with a view to addressing challenges associated with humanitarian access and most importantly to strengthen the effort to rehabilitate and rebuild the Tigray region. However, the TPLF disregarded the government’s move and continued its blatant attacks expanding the conflict into the neighboring Afar and Amhara regions. The group, while occupying some areas of these regions, committed atrocities in various towns including mass rape, lootings and mass killings of civilians which caused further displacement and humanitarian crisis.

As the situation necessitated, on the 22nd of November 2021, H.E. Abiy Ahmed Ali, Prime Minister of the FDRE and commander in chief of the Ethiopian Armed Forces announced his intention to personally direct the fight against the TPLF on the battlefield. The decision has triggered a great moral boost among the Ethiopian army and brought about a string of victories, reversing two month of rebel gains in Amhara and Afra regions, in little over a week. The first major territory the government retook was the town of Chifra in the Afar region. On the 1st of December, it announced the recapture of Shewa Robit, and a day later the military and allied militia retook Lalibela, an historic town famous for its 12th century rock-hewn churches. On the Following days, the government recaptured all the strategic towns in Amhara and Afar regional states and cleared out the TPLF from all the territories that it had occupied. On 23rd of December 2021, the Federal Government ordered the army to remain on guard in the recently liberated areas.

• Bias in some corners of the international community and the media

Since the war broke-out, despite the government’s effort to address the various challenges it has been facing, including alleged human rights violations as well as the humanitarian situation, some members of the international community as well as some media organizations have chosen to pressurize and blackmail the government based on misguided premise created by TPLF’s propaganda. One can not forget how an orchestrated media campaign was waged by drumming the narrative that ‘Addis Ababa is falling’ despite a continued reassurance by the government that Addis Ababa was calm. We also remember there was an intense propaganda against holding the recently concluded national election portraying Ethiopia is not ready for democratic process. On both cases these negative campaigns were proved wrong.

On the other hand, whenever the TPLF commits heinous crimes there were widespread under reporting and hesitation to condemn the acts. Since September only, the TPLF summarily executed 240 people, including more than 100 children, in attacks on displaced families sheltering at a health facility and a school in Galcoma area, Afar region. Likewise, more than 200 civilians in Chena, over 600 civilians in Kobo and over 100 civilians in Kombolcha of Amhara Region were summarily executed. They also used rape as a weapon of war. However, with the exception of few, one hardly finds these atrocities committed by the criminal group making headlines or call for an investigation. This has emboldened the junta to pursue its agenda of precipitating conflicts and causing distractions in areas where the conflict is ongoing. It is still a puzzle why the relevant international bodies are not questioning the hijacking of more than 1000 UN trucks by the TPLF clique while there is a dire need to address the humanitarian situation.

• The way ahead:

Since coming to power in April 2018, H.E. P.M Abiy’s administration has been fully committed on sustaining and spearheading multifaceted reform programs. Even if the past year has put the government to dedicate most of its focus on defending the country from an existential threat posed on it by the belligerent group, promises made at the initial stage of the In the past year, Ethiopia has achieved commendable results at the back of wide range of challenges. It has successfully held one of the most democratic and inclusive elections that the country has ever seen in its history; it has been able to contain the spread of Covid-19 simultaneously managing the impact that the pandemic brought on its economy; and the government has also continued to introduce new reform measures in various sectors consolidating the reform programs launched in April 2018.

Ethiopia, as a country rich in diversity, houses people and parties who hold differing views on various matters of national importance. The National Dialogue Commission that is set to be established soon would certainly help move forward national consensus in narrowing these differences, which ultimately helps to bridge gaps on major political issues among the political elite and the society at large. The ongoing conflict is also a matter that could be resolved through this domestic mechanism and our continental organization, the African Union. Ethiopia had made it clear that it has welcome the Africa union to support the peace efforts.

Ethiopia is a shining example of resilience and resistance to external challenges over the centuries. Ethiopians have stood united against many odds with a colorful history of sovereignty and independence. These are facts that need to be considered in understanding the nation. No doubt, the country is passing through one of the most challenging times but not unsurmountable ones. Friends and partners should not lose sight of this fact. It is time for the international community and friends of Ethiopia to recognize and nurture the fact that domestic efforts coupled with the continental engagement will take the nation a step forward to solve the current state of security in the country.

Office of the Prime Minster: - National Security Council in Session Credit: Office of the Prime Minister of Ethiopia