Open letter to members of the United Nations Security Council
In June 2018, the Tigray People Liberation Front (TPLF) led ethno-centric repressive regime of Ethiopia came to an end after 27 years misrule, following a wave of popular protest for freedom, justice and democracy waged by Ethiopians across the country against gross violation of basic human rights and an underlying flawed system drowned to its neck by corrupt practices.
The new adminstration of Prime Minster Dr Abiy Ahmed ushered in several tangible political changes which gave hope to democratise Ethiopian and restore peace with its neighbours. While Ethiopia postponed its National parliamentary election due to Covid19 Pandemic, the TPLF, in unprecedented act of defiance of the authority of the Federal Government, held its regional election in violation of the Constitution acting like a “de facto state”. We understand the Ethiopian Government ruled out the use force to resolve this political stand-off brought by the belligerent attitude of disgruntled leaders of Tigray region. All attempts by Ethiopian Civic Organisations to peacefully resolve the stand-off over two years fell on deaf ears.
On 4th November 2020, the TPLF has brazenly attacked the Northern Command of Ethiopia’s National Defence Forces (ENDF), in what it called a” pre-emptive lightning strike”. In the process of capturing heavy weaponry and strategic military resources to be used in further military confrontations the TPLF Special Forces killed hundreds of Ethiopian Defence soldiers in horrific circumstance.
The TPLF preceded its armed insurrection by destroying civilian infrastructure (roads, bridges, electricity and telephone transmission lines and mobile telephone and internet nodes), in what it called a “strategy of war”. TPLF Special Forces and Youth Militia have been engaged in ethnic targeted massacre in the city of Mai-Kadra, where over 600 mostly ethnic Amharas have been slaughtered in 2 days and some of the assailants have fled to join the refugee camps in Sudan.
In response, the Ethiopia Government has heeded calls from the public to bring those responsible to justice and to defend and uphold the constitutional order by launching a law enforcement operation in Tigray region which was largely completed within 17 days. We strongly believe, the Ethiopian Government although unprepared for this conflict through its law and order enforcement operation in Tigray region has averted a massive humanitarian and security crisis which would have engulfed the whole of the Horn of Africa and likely spilled over to the shores of European countries. Ethiopians holds the fugitive TPLF leaders exclusively responsible for the avoidable humanitarian and political crisis in Tigray region.
While we share the concern of the UN, EU and other Partner Organisation on the humanitarian situation in Tigray, the Security Council must recognise Ethiopia sets its own security priorities as a sovereign state and it is the duty of the Government of Ethiopia to maintain law and order in its territory and protect the safety of its citizens. The Security Council must recognise the commitment of Ethiopia to provide humanitarian assistance to those affected by the conflict, provide unfettered access to international humanitarian agencies and investigate any human right abuses in Tigray region of Ethiopia.
We think the peace and stability of Ethiopian, a strategic nation in the horn of Africa with 110 million people, is paramount and the Security Council should not be duped by old repressive rulers and their lobbyists; and concerted misleading media reports bent to bring the Government of Ethiopia down and risk disintegration of the country if their minority agenda is not served.
We ask the Security Council to recognise the historical and current peace keeping commitments of Ethiopia in the region and work with the Government of Ethiopia rather than putting pressure and resorting to punitive measures which could back fire, as we all know too well the disastrous consequences such measures in the past. Ethiopians across the Globe resist any suggestions that put the unity and sovereign integrity of Ethiopia and its people in danger in the name of humanitarian assistance.
Ethiopian Communities in North America and Europe, 4 March 2021