The BBC has heard new reports of ethnic cleansing in Tigray, in northern Ethiopia amid growing concern that the conflict is entering a dangerous new stage. Tigrayan forces are continuing to extend their control over the region, prompting the Ethiopian government to warn it may end its unilateral ceasefire and to mobilise forces from nearby Amhara and other parts of the country. The likely next flashpoint is in western Tigray, currently controlled by Amhara forces. BBC Africa correspondent Andrew Harding has this report from the border with neighbouring Sudan.
Posted by addisethiopia / አዲስ ኢትዮጵያ on July 16, 2021
👉 Where’s the outrage over famine and genocide in Ethiopia
Not My Party: What’s Going on in Ethiopia (And Why You Should Care)
The world seems indifferent to the war, famine, and ethnic cleansing in Ethiopia. The United States shouldn’t be.
There’s a crisis in Ethiopia—ethnic cleansing and famine worse than anywhere in the world. So why is the social media outrage being carried by Bachelor Nation?
In the Ethiopian city of Aksum, hyenas fed on the bodies of some of the hundreds who were killed in a church massacre. The corpses of young boys laid in the street for days. This is one of the many horror stories taking place in the Tigray region of the country. Thousands are starving to death. Millions are in need of food. There have been over 22,000 rape victims. The government is blocking humanitarian efforts to supply aid, and they’re suspected of committing war crimes.
How did this happen in a country led by Abiy Ahmed, who won the Nobel Peace Prize just two years ago?
Tigray’s the home to the TPLF, a regional political party and paramilitary organization. The region is mountainous and sits on the border of Eritrea, a country that was once part of Ethiopia. Ethiopia and Eritrea have been at war for decades, with Tigray and the TPLF stuck in the middle. Abiy was hailed for bringing this conflict to an end in 2018.
Then last year, Abiy postponed the Ethiopian elections because of COVID. The Tigrayans didn’t like this too much. So they held elections on their own. Then, Abiy sent the Ethiopian military into the region after claiming that the TPLF had attacked their base, starting a sh*tshow of epic, historic proportion.
The Eritrean Army then saw an opportunity for revenge after years of war in Tigray. And so they invaded as well, alongside Abiy and the Ethiopian army. Internet access and electricity was cut off to the region. So the ethnic cleansing of Tigrayans raged in secret.
“There’s no hunger in Tigray. There’s a problem in Tigray, and the government’s capable of fixing that.” [Ahmed]
Nice Nobel Prize, ass.
That’s right: In 2021, when we can FaceTime our moms across the globe in a second, nobody knew about this mass murder and famine for months. But now that it’s public, with millions still denied aid, where’s the social media outrage? “Kony 2012” had Bieber and Gaga and everyone. Cardi B spoke out on Sudan.
But if you aren’t a consumer of foreign news here in the U.S., you might only know about this if you’re a “Bachelor’s” fan. That’s because when the last season finished, a contestant named Magi Tareke called her mother, who lived in the Tigray region, and she couldn’t get through because of the blackouts. Turns out her mother was safe, and her brother had fled to Sudan. In the meantime, the bachelorettes rallied around her on social media. And thank God—somebody had to.
The lack of outrage obviously stems from the Ethiopian government’s lies and gaslighting and blackout of the region. They blocked journalists and humanitarian groups and the internet, and it’s worked.
But I also worry that our muted response is a result of our own diminished view of the United States’s role in the world. Look, USAID director Samantha Power has been taking action. But all Joe Biden’s done is put out a nice statement. The administration’s been focusing more on COVID and the homefront.
The MAGA right has decided that the U.S. should ignore the problems in “sh*thole countries” and ban refugees fleeing persecution from coming here. Meanwhile, the extreme left thinks that U.S. involvement in the world does more harm than good.
We cannot let this America-alone mindset take hold. For all our flaws, the U.S. is needed. When there are problems, China and Russia ain’t coming through that door. It’s on us to reestablish ourselves as a beacon of hope in the world.
This is an English translation of the genocidal call that was broadcast by the Ethiopian Satellite Television (ESAT) on August 6, 2016.
Urgent call to the people of Ethiopia from the Entire Amhara people in Gondar
To the Ethiopian Satellite Television and Radio Washington DC, USA; Amsterdam, Netherlands, Oromia Media Network Washington DC, USA
Re: A call to reclaim our freedom, which we have been unable to regain peacefully, through whatever forceful measure necessary
On August 5, The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) which the Ethiopian people have been struggling against for the past 25 years in the hopes that they would learn from their mistakes and injustices have on August 5, 2016, have deployed their usual ploy and crossed Soreka and Sanja passes at night, assigned their own cadres as guards, and launched a campaign to massacre and exterminate us.
The campaign aimed to frighten the people of Gondar, who have become a headache to them, and stop the struggle that is gaining momentum in the country. However, the heroic people of Gondar came out en masse to encircle the cadres and protect the people and their surroundings. We thank our region’s riot police and militia, who stood by our side by ignoring the orders of this brutal, oppressive minority group; it was a great source of strength for us.
Dear people of Ethiopia,
As you can see, our struggle is not like the typical struggle between a so-called oppressive government and oppressed people as occurs across the world. The struggle is between those who wish to destroy our race and rule over us and the rest of us Ethiopians whose misery has been unending. This is evidenced by the war waged against the people of Gonder by Tigrayan soldiers.
We have also received information that there is an arrogant and contemptful plan to use Tigrayan only forces to take control of Amhara, the vast Oromo, and Southern Ethiopia by controlling two roads:
starting from the Arassa Lasta through Belesa to the South Gondar and then West and East Gojjam using the Temben-Sekota-Lalibela road,
from Muketuri to Selalie using the Temben-Sekota-Lalibela road
North Shoa using the Dessie-Addis Ababa road
Dear people of Ethiopia,
This deadly plot is aimed at 95 million people by 5 million by using unconscionable villains and political sell-outs such as Hailemariam Desalegn and his likes. It is also unfortunate that the 5 million are serving and being used by ten or so leaders at the top and those close to 10,000 around them.
Ethiopians have been begging in various ways for these well-to-do Tigrayans to join the struggle and fight for peace. If that is not possible, we have been urging Tigrayans to distance themselves and show those at the top that they are on their own. However, instead of heeding our request, they have demonstrated their allegiance to them and engaged in psychological warfare to ridicule and humiliate us. What we have gained so far from this is death and humiliation.
Our 25 years of peaceful protests have not resulted in anything. So, what are we waiting for? Are we waiting for them to finish us off one by one? From now on, it is foolish and naive to expect any solutions through dialogue.
Whether we like it or not, there is only one option: pay them back in their own coin and use force to restore our freedom. One way of getting rid of rotten fish is to drain the sea.
Dear people of Ethiopia,
There is no doubt that pent-up frustration after patiently waiting for the right thing can only result in remarkable things. Therefore, we call on all of you, wherever you are – without any hesitation, – to start taking action as follows:
To all Ethiopians in the Amhara Region: You must block roads to Tigray to stop TPLF’s movements. First, Tigray to Addis Ababa road via Dessie. Second, from Woldiya to Wereta; from Shire to Gondar; from Humera to Gondar; and from Metema to Gondar, just like the now blocked roads around Gonder. All of you must come out and block every road to Tigray using stones and tree trunks to stop TPLF’s movement.
To our people in Afar: You must block the roads to Tigray, such as the Wiiha-Shekhit-Afdera road, as well as the roads that take to Asayita using stones and tree trunks to stop TPLF’s movements
To all Ethiopians serving in the army: We do not need to tell you that you did not join the military to serve ten or so tyrannical Tigrayan leaders, a few traitors from our region, to ensure Tigrayan hegemony. Therefore, if possible, take military action against those on the top of the command serving as your superiors. If not, stay at home until you’ve understood the truth because when you do so, we want you alive and to join us because you are our brothers and sisters. We understand your agony and dilemma.
To all Ethiopians: What we have gained through our peaceful struggle has been arrest, beating, death, and losing our race. Therefore, we have to collectively say ‘enough’ and decide that this should stop. Thus, the measures we take to protect ourselves are natural and legal. Therefore, we request Ethiopians to accept our call and stand with us.
💭 Climate Scientists Shocked by Scale of Floods in Germany
Deluge raises fears human-caused disruption is making extreme weather even worse than predicted
The intensity and scale of the floods in Germany this week have shocked climate scientists, who did not expect records to be broken this much, over such a wide area or this soon.
After the deadly heatwave in the US and Canada, where temperatures rose above 49.6C two weeks ago, the deluge in central Europe has raised fears that human-caused climate disruption is making extreme weather even worse than predicted.
Precipitation records were smashed across a wide area of the Rhine basin on Wednesday, with devastating consequences. At least 58 people have been killed, tens of thousands of homes flooded and power supplies disrupted.
Parts of Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia were inundated with 148 litres of rain per sq metre within 48 hours in a part of Germany that usually sees about 80 litres in the whole of July.
The city of Hagen declared a state of emergency after the Volme burst its banks and its waters rose to levels not seen more than four times a century.
The most striking of more than a dozen records was set at the Köln-Stammheim station, which was deluged in 154mm of rain over 24 hours, obliterating the city’s previous daily rainfall high of 95mm.
Climate scientists have long predicted that human emissions would cause more floods, heatwaves, droughts, storms and other forms of extreme weather, but the latest spikes have surpassed many expectations.
“I am surprised by how far it is above the previous record,” Dieter Gerten, professor of global change climatology and hydrology at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, said. “We seem to be not just above normal but in domains we didn’t expect in terms of spatial extent and the speed it developed.”
Gerten, who grew up in a village in the affected area, said it occasionally flooded, but not like this week. Previous summer downpours have been as heavy, but have hit a smaller area, and previous winter storms have not raised rivers to such dangerous levels. “This week’s event is totally untypical for that region. It lasted a long time and affected a wide area,” he said.
Scientists will need more time to assess the extent to which human emissions made this storm more likely, but the record downpour is in keeping with broader global trends.
Addis Ethiopia Weblog 