#TigrayGenocide | A Tale Familiar to Three Generations of Tigrayans

💭 My Note: History repeats itself:

🔥 Amhara & Oromos bombing Tigray, Using Rape, Hunger & forced resettlement (Mengistu did it back then, Ahmed will do the same now) as a Weapon against People in Tigray for the past 130 years:-

😈 Menelik ll: Half Oromo + Half Amhara = Oromo (Crypto-Muslim / Man of the flesh)

😈 Haile Selassie: Half Oromo + Half Amhara = Oromo (Crypto-Muslim / Man of the flesh)

😈 Mengistu Hailemariam: Half Oromo + Half Amhara = Oromo (Crypto-Muslim / Man of the flesh)

😈 Abiy Ahmed Ali = Half Oromo + Half Amhara = Oromo (Crypto-Muslim / Man of the flesh)

[Galatians 5:19-21]

“Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

“The fight for Tigray is a horrific déjà vu… For older Tigrayans, all of this seems like a horrific déjà-vu.”

This statement captures the reality that almost all facets of the ongoing war on Tigray trigger memories of the horrors of the past for Tigrayans.

The most recent parallel the man-made famine in Tigray in the 1980s captured and shared to dramatic effect by photographers, such as Stan Grossfeld, is recognizable even to outsiders who recognize the terrible similarity with what is happening now. It is awareness of this historical context that enabled Senator Leahy, president pro tempore of the US Senate, to be one of the first amongst the international community to clearly identify what is happening in Tigray as a genocide.

This genocidal war continues to fuel an ever-worsening humanitarian and human rights crisis characterized by gross human rights violations, war crimes, and crimes against humanity including genocidal rape and the weaponization of starvation. Worst of all, the recalcitrance of the Ethiopian and Eritrean regimes in spite of considerable international pressure for a ceasefire and unfettered humanitarian access, reveals that unless direct action is taken there is little chance that these atrocities will stop.

In this context, the striking parallels between the current War on Tigray and past tactics employed by previous Ethiopian regimes – most notably Haile Selassie (1930-1974) and the Derg regime (1974-1987) led by Mengistu Hailemariam – in attempts to subjugate Tigrayans, deserve a much closer look to highlight the long-standing intentions and motivations fueling the current emergency.

Emperor Haile Selassie

Emperor Haile Selassie, best known for the history and songs that have romanticized him as an African statesman, is also responsible for the deaths of millions across the country. In Tigray, his imperial regime committed indiscriminate air bombings of civilians, annexed Tigrayan territory, and deliberately hid famine even as the Emperor hosted luxurious parties and fed his pet dogs delicacies.

Air bombing Mekelle (capital of Tigray)

During Emperor Haile Selassie’s reign, Tigray remained marginalized from the country with no significant political or economic representation. This gave rise to the first “Woyane” movement that carried out armed resistance against the monarchical rule of the Emperor. Instead of attending to the people’s demand for democracy and equality, the Emperor resorted to bombing market sites in Mekelle and surrounding areas with the help of the British Royal Air Force. This resulted in the death of thousands of innocent Tigrayans in 1943. These attacks targeted the civilian population as a possible deterrent for anyone seeking to join the Woyane armed struggle against the central monarchy.

Annexation of Tigrayan Territories

Following the defeat of the first uprising, the Emperor systematically incorporated southern territories from Tigray to Wollo province (currently part of the Amhara region) to weaken the region and hinder potential recruitments for possible future revolts. It is to be remembered that Emperor Menelik, who ruled Ethiopia before Haile Selassie from 1889 to 1913, also utilized the same tactics. Under his rule, he had incorporated parts of Tigray’s western provinces to be included under the Gondar province. The motive under both administrations was to deprive Tigray of its rich socio-economic resource to sustain resistance against the oppressive rule of the Emperors that continued to undermine the rights of different ethnic groups.

Hiding Famine

During the 1958 Tigray famine, Emperor Haile Selassie was unwilling to send emergency food aid to the starving population. An estimated 100,000 Tigrayans perished as a result. His decision was in line with the increases in farmland taxation for Tigrayans and other economic restrictions that left Tigray in a state of poverty for decades to come. In 1973 the Emperor once again hid a famine that devastated areas of Tigray and Wollo. The famine in 1973 killed an estimated 200,000 people. Once the news about the massive famine broke out to the rest of the world, the government officials quietly asked for aid that was inadequate to alleviate the famine. This was done to hush the news so that the Emperor’s image is not tarnished. Despite their denial and active efforts to spread propaganda regarding the 1954 and 1973 famines, the Emperor and his administration are without question responsible for the thousands of lives lost.

Mengistu Hailemariam

Mengistu, leader of the Communist military junta known colloquially as the Derg, used the slogan “drain the sea to catch the fish” in his attempt to subjugate Tigray. More than a slogan this aim was widely implemented in widespread campaigns of extrajudicial killings to deter people from joining the armed struggle, weaponizing hunger and forcibly removing Tigrayans from Tigray.

Weaponized Hunger

The 1984 famine, which has become associated with Ethiopia in the popular imagination of the rest of the world, was devastating due to government policies that blocked access to foreign bodies like the United Nations preventing them from providing aid. In order to hide the severity of the famine, international actors were denied access to the affected community. The famine ended up taking the lives of more than one million Tigrayans in what was one of the most horrific humanitarian disasters in recent history.

Sexual Violence, Indiscriminate Shelling and Chemical Attack

The Derg also committed weaponized sexual violence, indiscriminate shelling, and chemical attack on civilians and their residential areas. Victims of sexual violence include children as young as 13 years old. Indiscriminate shelling also targeted schools, markets, and residences all occupied by civilians. In addition, civilians bore the brunt of the horrific use of chemical weaponry.

Forced Resettlement

The terrible conditions of the 1984 famine were later used as an excuse by the military junta to forcefully resettle thousands of Tigrayans to areas outside of Tigray that were less affected by the famine. The resettlement program, which was non-voluntary and executed with poor planning and coordination failed to take into account needs for basic humanitarian services to relocated populations and as a result, took the lives of 50,000 Tigrayans while leaving many more displaced from their homeland. This resettlement program referred to at the time as a “vast human tragedy of historical proportions” was of course an act of demographic engineering intended to quash the resistance to the brutal regime by depopulating Tigray.

Mengistu found guilty of genocide

After the fall of the communist military junta in 1991, its leader President Mengistu was tried in absentia for genocide and found guilty in 2007. The High Court judgment stated:

“Members of the Derg who are present in court today and those who are being tried in absentia have conspired to destroy a political group and kill people with impunity.”

Blocking Passage for Refugees

One final point that bears mentioning here, considering that Eritrean forces are actively engaged in the current Tigrayan crisis is the role played by Eritrean People’s Liberation Front (EPLF) – which later became the People’s Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ) the party ruling Eritrea today under much of the same leadership – in exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in Tigray in the 80s. More specifically, in 1985, following a political disagreement between Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and EPLF officials led to the latter blocking the road connecting Sudan with Tigray. Refugees were forced to take a “long and dangerous route” on top of suffering from starvation. This cost thousands of lives as they reached Sudan through tougher terrains.

History repeats itself in Tigray

At the start of the current conflict, those that lived through the previous campaigns against Tigray and resultant famines recalled the horrors of the past and feared a repetition was likely. As feared, those that fled to Sudan in the previous famines are now again in tears remembering what they went through decades ago and how much worse the current circumstances are.

All the crimes that were committed in the past, forceful annexation, weaponized starvation and rape, banned chemical attacks, forced resettlement, blockage of passage for refugees, massacres, and indiscriminate shelling of civilian areas are being committed on Tigray since the declaration of the offensive by Abiy Ahmed Ali on the 4th of November 2020. Although this analysis focuses on the events post the start of the war, it should also be noted that roads from Amhara to Tigray were blocked since 2018 preventing the transportation of grains portending the tactics being used to weaponize hunger now.

Today the reality on the ground is very dire. The United Nations (UN) has reported 350,000 people are experiencing famine in Tigray and 30,000 children are at risk of dying from starvation. Aid is available but restricted by Ethiopian, Eritrean, and Amhara regional forces. All the while, Ethiopian diplomats are engaged in telling the world access has been granted and that aid is being delivered. The population of Tigray has more than doubled since the time of President Mengistu Hailemariam. Food supply to more than 7 million Tigrayans has been deliberately looted, destroyed and farmers are prevented from farming. Meanwhile, unfettered access to aid agencies has yet to be granted. The UN revealed that 99% (130 out of 131 documented incidents) of the humanitarian aid blockage is happening by the Ethiopian troops and its allies. Multiple testimonies from the Tigrayan families reveal that famine is occurring on a large scale. The only thing standing in the way of the international community from knowing the full scale is the unavailability of data. Alex De Waal said, “no data, no famine” which has been effectively concealed using both communication blackout and blockage of roads connecting many parts of rural Tigray by invading forces.

The same crimes that got Mengistu Hailemariam convicted of genocide are being committed by Abiy. It is also critical to note that the retired officials of the Derg regime have been assigned key positions within the military leadership of the current Ethiopian defense force. Thus, not only do the atrocities reported so far indicate the genocidal intent of this war, but most importantly the involvement of the military officials that were part of the Derg regime found guilty of genocide must also be used as evidence to show this genocidal intent. Once the crimes are categorized, the international community will have the responsibility to intervene and stop the atrocities in Tigray before the only conceivable future is one with another “Never Again” campaign in it.

Source

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NGOs Call for UN Human Rights Council Resolution on Tigray

Your Excellency,

We, the undersigned human rights non-governmental organizations, strongly urge the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) to adopt a resolution at its upcoming 47thsession (HRC47) on the ongoing human rights crisis in Tigray, Ethiopia.

Over the last seven months an overwhelming number of reports have emerged of abuses and violations of international humanitarian and human rights law (IHL/IHRL) during the ongoing conflict in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region. Reports by civil society organizations have detailed widespread massacres, violence against civilians and indiscriminate attacks across Tigray while preliminary analysis by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) indicates that all warring parties have committed abuses that may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. There is now ample evidence that atrocities continue to be committed, notably by the Ethiopian National Defense Forces, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, Eritrean Defense Forces, and Amhara regional special police and affiliated Fano militias. These include indiscriminate attacks and direct attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, widespread and mass extrajudicial executions, rape and other sexual violence, forced displacement, arbitrary detentions, including of displaced persons, widespread destruction and pillage of civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, schools, factories and businesses, and the destruction of refugee camps, crops and livestock.

The Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) on Sexual Violence in Conflict has repeatedly expressed alarm over the widespread and systematic commission of rape and sexual violence in Tigray. On 21 April she stated that women and girls in Tigray are being subjected to sexual violence “with a cruelty that is beyond comprehension,” including gang rape by men in uniform, targeted sexual attacks on young girls and pregnant women, and family members forced to witness these horrific abuses. The SRSG also stated that these reports, coupled with assessments by healthcare providers in the region, indicate that sexual violence is being used as a weapon of war.

Thousands of civilians are estimated to have been killed, while the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs believes at least 1.7 million people remain displaced. On top of ethnic targeting and massacres within Tigray, there have been reports of government discrimination, demonization and hate speech directed at Tigrayans in other parts of Ethiopia. A number of UN officials, from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to UNICEF’s Executive Director and the UN Special Advisers on the Prevention of Genocide and the Responsibility to Protect, have publicly called for urgent action to end the abuses in Tigray and alleviate the conflict’s devastating impact on the region’s civilian population.

The UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator has also warned that famine is imminent in Tigray and that without a drastic upscaling of funding and access, hundreds of thousands of people could starve. Despite this looming risk, humanitarian workers have also been targeted throughout the conflict, with nine aid workers killed since November, the most recent on 29 May.

On 25 March, OHCHR and the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission announced the launch of a joint investigation into the ongoing reports of atrocity crimes in Tigray. On 12 May, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) adopted an important resolution establishing a Commission of Inquiry (CoI) to investigate violations of IHL and IHRL and identify perpetrators. Unfortunately, the HRC has so far remained largely silent on Tigray, aside from a welcome joint statement delivered by Germany on behalf of 42 states on 26 February 2021.

A robust, dedicated and coordinated approach to this human rights crisis by the international community is both critical and urgent, given the gravity of ongoing crimes, the complex nature of the situation, and the involvement of various parties. After seven months of serious violations and abuses, the HRC can no longer stay silent. It should take urgent action to address the crisis and fulfil its mandate to address and prevent violations of human rights, including gross and systematic violations and abuses, and to respond promptly to emergencies. We therefore respectfully urge your Mission to work towards the adoption of a resolution at HRC47 that:

· Recognizes the serious concerns expressed by the High Commissioner for Human Rights, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, SRSG on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Special Advisers on the Prevention of Genocide and Responsibility to Protect, and other senior UN officials regarding possible war crimes and crimes against humanity in Tigray;

· Requests the High Commissioner to report on her investigations, findings and recommendations to date regarding the human rights situation in Tigray, Ethiopia, and possible violations of IHL and IHRL at the HRC’s 48th session in the context of an enhanced interactive dialogue;

· Also invites the ACHPR’s CoI to brief the HRC on its investigation at the enhanced interactive dialogue at the 48th session;

· Emphasizes the important role of the HRC’s prevention mandate, as outlined in Resolution 45/31, and requests the High Commissioner to brief UN member states intersessionally and on an ad-hoc basis to update the HRC on the situation in Tigray.

The adoption of such a resolution would provide a concrete foundation for the HRC to decide on the action needed to prevent further human rights violations and abuses in Tigray and ensure accountability.

Excellencies, please accept the assurances of our highest consideration,

Source

Where’s the UN Security Council’s formal Meeting on Tigray?

At a high-level U.S. and EU event on the ongoing crisis in Ethiopia’s Tigray region yesterday, USAID Administrator Samantha Power expressed frustration that the U.N. — the body in which she used to represent U.S. interests — hasn’t been able to act to stop atrocities.

The meeting came as U.N. agencies warned of “looming famine” in Tigray, where over 350,000 people are already facing catastrophic food insecurity.

“I’ve lived through great frustration on the Security Council,” Power said, referencing being unable to secure “a tough resolution on an issue of grave concern.” On Tigray: “Not even to have a formal meeting on something of this enormity — it’s shocking, truly, and will go down in history … as a very shameful period.”

U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield called the Security Council’s failure to act “unacceptable.” “Do African lives not matter?” she asked. The Irish Mission to the U.N. has asked the Security Council to meet on Tigray, and expects it to happen next Tuesday.

The U.S. and EU released a joint statement following the meeting, calling for a cease-fire, adherence to international humanitarian law, immediate and unimpeded humanitarian access, withdrawal of Eritrean forces from Ethiopia, and a scale-up of international support.

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Ethiopian Airlines Freighter Stuck in Mud – Just Like Mother Ethiopia Today

✈️ የኢትዮጵያ አየር መንገድ የጭነት አውሮፕላን በጭቃ ውስጥ ተጣብቆ ቀረ ፥ ልከ እንደ ዛሬዋ ኢትዮጵያ

💭 ለራሳቸው ሲባልና ኢትዮጵያንም ላለምጉዳት የዋቄዮ-አላህ ልጆች ስልጣን ላይ በጭራሽ መውጣት አልነበረባቸውም/የለባቸውም! “የተቀደሰውን ለውሾች አትስጡ” ይለናል ቅዱስ ቃሉ [ማቴ.፯፥፮ ]

👉 “የኢትዮጵያ አየር መንገድ አውሮፕላን ተቃጠለ | ስጋዊው ግራኝ ለኢትዮጵያ መጥፎ እድል አመጣ”

በቻናዋ ሻንግሃይ ፑዶንግ አውሮፕላን ማረፊያ በአንድ የኢትዮጵያ አየር መንገድ የዕቃ ማመላለሻ አውሮፕላን ውስጥ እሳት ተቀጣጠለ። ምክኒያቱ ምን ይሆን? ለማንኛውም የአህዛብ አገዛዝ ለሃገራችን ብዙ መጥፎ ዕድሎችን ይዞ መምጣቱን እያየነው ነው። ኢትዮጵያ ሃገራችን ከሁሉም አቅጣጫ ነው የተደፈረቸው! ዐቢይ አህመድ የሚመራው የአህዛብ አገዛዝ ባፋጣኝ መወገድ አለበት!

👉 “አየር መንገዳችንን የከሰከሰው ግራኝ ነው| የእህታችን፣ የወንድማችን እና የእኔ ጽንሰ–ሐሳቦች ተገጣጠሙ”

ገዳይ ዐቢይ በኢትዮጵያ አየር መንገድ አውሮፕላን ሲበርር የአየር መንገዱ ስራ አስኪያጅ አቶ ተወልደ አብረውት እንዲበርሩ ያደርጋል፤ ለምን?

👉 “የኢትዮጵያ አየር መንገድ አውሮፕላን ተቃጠለ | ስጋዊው ግራኝ ለኢትዮጵያ መጥፎ እድል አመጣ”

“ኦሮሞዎች ኢትዮጵያን አዋረዷት!| Ethiopian Airlines Lands at Wrong Airport„

👉 የኢትዮጵያ አየር መንገድ በግንባታ ላይ ባለና በተሳሳተ አውሮፕላን ማረፊያ አረፈ

የኢትዮጵያ አየር መንገድ የበረራ ቁጥር ET871 ትናንትና ጠዋት ከአዲስ አበባ ኢትዮጵያ ወደ ናዶላ ዛምቢያ ሊጓዝ ነበር። በረራው የተከናወነው በአምስት ዓመቱ ቦይንግ 737-800 የምዝገባ ኮድ ET-AQP / ኢቲ–ኤኬፒ ነው። አውሮፕላኑ የተሳሳተ አውሮፕላን ማረፊያ እንዳረፈ ተዘግቧል።

አውሮፕላኑ በንዶላ ውስጥ ጥቅም ላይ እየዋለ ባለው ዓለም አቀፍ አውሮፕላን ማረፊያ በሲዶል ሙዋንሳ ካፕዌፕዌ አውሮፕላን ማረፊያ ማረፍ ነበረበት፡፡ በምትኩ አውሮፕላኑ ወደ አዲሱ ኮፐርቤል ዓለም አቀፍ አውሮፕላን ማረፊያ አረፈ ፣ በከተማው ውስጥ አዲሱ ዓለም አቀፍ አውሮፕላን ማረፊያ በመጠናቀቅ ላይ ነው ፣ ግን ገና አልተከፈተም፡፡ አውሮፕላኑ እንደምንም በአዲሱ አውሮፕላን ማረፊያ በአጋጣሚ አረፈ። ካረፈ በኋላ በቀላሉ ወደ ማኮብኮቢያ መንገዱ ላይ እንደገና ተነስቶ ወደ ትክክለኛው አየር ማረፊያ አረፈ። ዋው!

እንግዲህ ግራኝ አብዮት አህመድ አሊ ልክ በጦር ሠራዊቱ እና በሌሎች ብዙዎች ተቋማት እንዳደረገው ትግራዋይ የሆኑትን የኢትዮጵያ አየር መንገድ ሰራተኞችንም እንደ ወንጀለኛ እያደነ ከስራዎቻቸው አባሯቸዋል። ይህ ወራዳ አውሬ የዱባይ ማምለጫውን ለማመቻቸት ሲል ወደ አስመራ እንኳን በኢትዮጵያ አየር መንገድ ሳይሆን መቶ ሲህ ዶላር ከፍሎ በኤሚራቶች አየር መንገድ እንደበረረ አይተነዋል። ቅሌታም!

መች በዚህ አቆመ፤ ግራኝ አብዮት ለኩሽ– እስላማዊት ኦሮሚያ ፕሮጀክቱ ሰማዕትነትን ለመቀበል ሲል፤ ኢትዮጵያን፣ የኢትዮጵያ ኦርቶዶክስ ተዋሕዶ ቤተ ክህነትን፣ ኤርትራን + ትግራይን + አማራን + የተባበሩት መንግስታትን + የፍሪቃ ሕብረትን + የኖርዌይ ኖቤል ኮሚቴን አፈራርሷል። በተጨማሪ የኢትዮጵያ አየር መንገድን፣ የኢትዮጵያ ንግድ ባንክንና የኢትዮጵያ ቴሌኮምን ለክርስቶስ ተቃዋሚ ቱርኮችና አረቦች ለመሸጥ ወስኗል። በአንድ ድንጋይ አስራ አንድ ወፍ!

የቀድሞው ጠቅላይ ሚንስትር መለስ ዜናዊ በአንድ ወቅት “ኦሮሞ ሀገር ማስተዳደር አይችልም! ብለው ነበር። ሌላ ጊዜም “ለኦሮሞ ስልጣን መስጠት ለህፃን ውሀ በብርጭቆ መስጠት ነው” ብለው ነበር። 100% ትክክል ነበሩ!

አረመኔው አብዮት አህመድ እና ኢትዮጵያን ወደ ገደል እየመሯት ያሉት ኦሮሞዎች “ኢትዮጵያ” የሚባለው ስም እንዲዋረድና በማላው ዓለም እንዲጠላ ተግተው በመስራት ላይ ናቸው። ኦሮሞዎቹ ይዋሻሉ + ይሰርቃሉ + ያርዳሉ + ይጨፈጭፋሉ + ወንድማማቾችን ያጣላሉ + ክርስቲያኖችን ያሳድዳሉ + ዓብያተ ክርስቲያናትንና ገዳማትን ያፈራርሳሉ።

ግራኝ ዳግማዊ የግራኝ ቀዳማዊን ተልዕኮ እያስቀጠለ ነው፤ “ኢትዮጵያ” የሚለውን ስም አጠልሽቶ እና ሃገሪቷንም አፈራርሶ ምናባዊዋን “ኩሽ–ኦሮሚያ” የተሻለችና የበለጠች አድርጎ መመስረት ነው፤ “Order out of chaos”

አረመኔው ግራኝ ትግሬ ኢትዮጵያውያን በጥይት፣ ረሃብና በሽታ ከጨረሰ በኋላ ወደ አማራው ይዞራል፤ በቀላሉም ይጨፈጭፈዋል። እነ ጂነራል አሳምነው ባሮሜትር ነበሩ! አንድ ቢሌይን ዶላር ለኩሽ-ኦሮሚያ እስላማዊት ሬፐብሊክ ምስረታ!

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The Guardian | Eritrean Soldiers Killed 19 Civilians in Latest Tigray Atrocity

Eritrean soldiers killed 19 civilians in a village at the foot of an internationally celebrated rock-hewn church in Tigray three weeks ago, witnesses, relatives and local residents have claimed, the latest alleged atrocity in the war-torn Ethiopian region.

Most of the victims in the alleged attack were women and young children.

The killings were perpetrated by Eritrean soldiers in a small rural settlement on steep slopes below the fifth-century stone church of Abuna Yemata on 8 May, according to multiple testimonies viewed by the Guardian.

Troops from Eritrea are fighting in Tigray on the side of Ethiopian government forces, in defiance of international calls for their withdrawal.

The soldiers were scouts from an Eritrean military unit whose task was to track down fighters loyal to the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), the region’s former ruling party.

The reported massacre is the latest in a series of alleged atrocities since the Ethiopian prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, winner of the 2019 Nobel peace prize, launched a military offensive in November to “restore the rule of law” by ousting the TPLF, after a surprise attack on a federal army base.

Though he vowed the conflict would be brief, more than six months later fighting continues and reports of atrocities are proliferating, amid warnings of an ongoing humanitarian catastrophe.

Several thousand people are feared to have died in such killings, which have been accompanied by a wave of sexual violence and the displacement of up to 2 million people.

This new report of what appears to have been the cold-blooded killing of unarmed civilians, including young children, will add to international pressure on Ethiopian authorities for a ceasefire to stem such abuses and allow humanitarian aid into Tigray.

All actors in the conflict have been accused of human rights abuses but Eritrean troops appear to have been responsible for a high proportion.

The description of the behaviour of the Eritrean troops at Abuna Yemata seen by the Guardian fits with previous reports of other such incidents in Tigray.

The testimony comes primarily from three individuals but is difficult to confirm in all its aspects. One source heard details from a woman who survived some hours after the attack, while the others gathered accounts from close friends, including a man whose wife was killed.

According to the accounts, the casualties were from three families who had spent the night in their homes before setting out to hide with the men from the village during the day.

The scouts came at 8am to the small hamlet, which comprises only a handful of homesteads, and were suspicious of an unusually large store of edible crops, according to the testimony. The foodstuff was the produce of several households that had been gathered for safekeeping.

The soldiers accused the villagers of being supporters of the TPLF insurgents and gathered them together in a field near a small river. One shot the two men in the group, aged 45 and 78, then others opened fire on the remainder. There are different reports of the number of attackers.

A larger group of Eritrean soldiers who arrived after the shootings reprimanded the scouts responsible for the killings, according to one account.

When the male residents of the village returned after some hours in hiding, they found the dead and injured. An infant was among the dead and nine members of one family were killed, a list of the names suggests.

The testimony matches accounts given by relatives of two children, aged six and four, who were injured in the attack but survived. Both were transported to a hospital in Mekelle, a journey that took a week due to road closures and the remote location of the alleged massacre.

The testimony also refers to a series of fierce clashes between TPLF and Eritrean forces in the area of the alleged massacre. Independent observers consulted by the Guardian have confirmed that these occurred at the locations indicated. Civilians were killed in shelling in the town of Hawzen, less than 5km from the scene of the alleged massacre, a day before it occurred.

Eritrean and Ethiopian forces are thought to have suffered significant casualties in the clashes in and around Hawzen and villages near the Abuna Yemata church in early May, though exact totals are unknown. Atrocities have frequently been committed in the aftermath of fighting as troops seek to establish control over populations or strategic landmarks and seek revenge.

In April the Guardian reported that almost 2,000 people had been killed in more than 150 massacres in Tigray, according to researchers. The oldest victims were in their 90s and the youngest were infants.

The worst perpetrators were Eritrean troops fighting alongside Ethiopian forces, though all armed actors are accused of committing atrocities.

Multiple witnesses, survivors of rape, officials and aid workers have said Eritrean soldiers have been seen throughout Tigray, sometimes clad in faded Ethiopian army fatigues.

Eritrean troops entered Tigray from its neighbouring state at the beginning of the offensive last year to reinforce the federal government’s forces. It is unclear whether they have remained with the consent of Addis Ababa.

Unicef said on Tuesday that children were paying “a terrible price” in the conflict.

“The magnitude and gravity of child rights violations taking place across Tigray show no sign of abating, nearly seven months since fighting broke out in northern Ethiopia,” the UN agency said.

In a speech to the UN security council last week, Sonia Farrey, the UK political coordinator at the UN, described a growing risk of famine, in part due to the conduct of hostilities.

“Armed parties continue to routinely prevent the delivery of humanitarian assistance. Aid which is delivered is often being taken from those in need to feed soldiers. Agricultural production is being targeted. Imports of vital communications equipment are being delayed. This is not a matter of interfering in sovereign internal affairs, but about observing the binding obligations on all states under international humanitarian law,” she said.

Source

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Tigrayans Told, ‘We’ll See if America Will Save You Now,’ as Hundreds Rounded up by Ethiopian & Eritrean Soldiers

Days after the United States announced financial sanctions and visa restrictions on Ethiopian and Eritrean officials, eyewitnesses told CNN that hundreds of young men were rounded up from displaced peoples camps in Shire, a town in Tigray, late Monday evening.

Witnesses speaking to CNN on condition of anonymity described how Ethiopian and Eritrean soldiers invaded at least two IDP centers where they beat and harassed Tigrayans displaced by a conflict that is believed to have killed thousands of civilians since November 2020. The soldiers then took hundreds of people away, the witnesses said

Four military vehicles first encircled the Adi Wenfito and Tsehay camps, witnesses said, before soldiers began rounding up young men, forcing them onto buses and taking them to a location believed to be on the outskirts of Shire. As the soldiers broke into an abandoned school housing the refugees, witnesses said they shouted, “we’ll see if America will save you now!”

“They forced open the door, the men didn’t even get a chance to put their shoes on. The soldiers had their guns locked, [ready to shoot],” one witness said.

One woman said two of her sons — aged 19 and 24 — were dragged from their home at around 9:30 p.m. that night. “They didn’t say why they were taking them, they just rounded them up, beat them and took them away,” she told CNN, adding that she was too afraid of what would be done to her sons to ask any questions.

Several of the men who were rounded up were released late afternoon on Tuesday, after they identified themselves as aid workers. They told CNN hundreds of young men continue to be detained at the Guna distribution center, an aid and foodstuff storage facility which has now been converted into a military camp.

One man described hours of beatings by Eritrean and Ethiopian soldiers. “Many of us are young but there are people there who are much older who won’t be able to withstand the beatings much longer,” he said.

Eritrean Information Minister Yemane Ghebremeskel denied the reports and dismissed previous CNN reporting, saying, “For how long will you continue to believe at face value any and all ‘witness statements’ … We have heard so many planted or false stories.”

The UN’s high commissioner for human rights previously called for an independent investigation into human rights violations in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, following CNN reporting on a massacre perpetrated against civilians there.

Elisabeth Haslund, spokesperson for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the agency that works with displaced people, told CNN, “we have also received very disturbing reports that Ethiopian and Eritrean soldiers entered IDP sites taking a number of youths into several vehicles. The reports of how many vary from a few hundred up to 700 youths.”

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) released a statement on Wednesday that corroborated the eyewitnesses accounts given to CNN. “On Monday night, scores of people were forcibly taken by military from camps where internally displaced people are seeking refuge in Shire,” MSF East Africa tweeted.

200 days of violence

The conflict in Tigray has now raged for over 200 days pitting Tigray’s regional leaders, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), against the Ethiopian National Defense Force, Eritrean soldiers and Amhara ethnic militia. From the start of the conflict last year civilians have been targeted by Ethiopian government forces and allied Eritrean and militia forces.

This latest incident, however, is a significant escalation in what is described by humanitarian workers and witnesses in Shire as an ongoing, extrajudicial campaign targeting young men perceived to be of “fighting age.”

Aid agencies estimate the town of Shire has tripled in size, hosting up to 800,000 Tigrayans forced out of their homes in the far west of the region in actions by Ethiopian, Eritrean and Amhara ethnic militia forces described by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken as “ethnic cleansing.”

Humanitarian workers told CNN Eritrean and Ethiopian soldiers have been blocking a key aid route to Shire for months, restricting supplies even as displaced persons continue to flow into the town.

One aid worker told CNN tens of vehicles carrying aid to Shire were turned back on Saturday alone. A CNN team in the region in April was able to capture on camera Eritrean soldiers obstructing aid along this route.

CNN has reached out to the Ethiopian Prime Minister’s Office and the Eritrean Minister for Information for comment but has not received a response.

US sanctions

The United States late Sunday evening announced “far reaching” financial sanctions and visa restrictions against Ethiopian, Eritrean, Amhara and TPLF officials it finds to be “complicit” in abuses or obstructing the resolution of the crisis. A State Department spokesperson told CNN the sanctions would be enforced as a “unilateral action” by the US. CNN has sought comment from the State Department on the latest reports from Shire.

In a statement the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs dismissed the US sanctions. Many witnesses see this latest uptick in violence as a statement of defiance in the face of growing international censure.

In videos sent to CNN on Tuesday morning, which were secretly filmed, desperate parents can be seen gathering in the compound of the local UNHCR office. In one video Ethiopian soldiers can be seen addressing the parents inside the compound.

CNN was able to geolocate the videos to a location in the center of Shire by examining the metadata in the raw files and matching key landmarks in the footage to the surroundings, such as the Kholafaa e Rashedeen mosque. The metadata also revealed the date and time the videos were filmed — May 25, 2021 at around 7:45am local time — which fits with the direction of the sunlight and the lengths of the shadows in the video, a CNN analysis shows. One of the videos also features an UNHCR logo supporting the accounts.

The audio in the video is indistinct but witnesses say parents were told: “We could kill you right here and the UN would do nothing to help but take pictures of you.”

Source

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የትግራይ እናቶች በእንባ የታጀበ ጸሎት እና ምሕላ | Tears of a Tigrayan Mother’s Cry

✞✞✞መቀሌ/ ማክሰኞ፡ ግንቦት ፲፯/፪ሺ፲፫ ዓ.ም በቅዱስ እስጢፋኖስ ዕለት ✞✞✞

አዎ! እናቶቼ እየደረሰባቸው ላለው ከባድ ግፍ የሽብር ጥቃት ቦምብ እያፈነዱ አይደለም እንደ አህዛብ በግራኝ እና መንጋው ላይ ለመበቀል የሚመኙት፤ በቀል የእግዚአብሔር ነውና እንዲህ በጥልቁ እያነቡ ነው ድምጻቸውንና ለቅሷቸውን ለእግዚአብሔር አምላካቸው የሚያሰሙት። ቃኤላውያን ወዮላችሁ! ወዮላችሁ!

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Will US Restrictions Bring an End to Tigray Violence | Al Jazeera

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German TV ARD | Tigray Kommt Nicht zur Ruhe | Tigray Cannot Rest | ትግራይ ለማረፍ አልተቻላትም

🔥 Reise In Den Krieg – Tigray Kommt Nicht Zur Ruhe

🔥 Journey to war – Tigray Cannot Rest

🔥 ወደ ጦርነት የሚደረግ ጉዞ – ትግራይ ለማረፍ አልተቻላትም

“የትግራይ ጦርነት ተጠናቋል”፤ ይላል የኢትዮጵያ መንግስት፡፡ በክፍለ-ግዛቱ ውስጥ በተጓዙበት ወቅት የመጀመሪያ ጀርመን “የዓለም መስተዋት”ፕሮግራም ቡድን የተለየ ነገር አጋጥሞታል፤ የኤርትራ ጦር አሁንም አለ ፣ አስገድዶ መድፈር የእለት ተእለት ተግባር ነው ፥ እናም በገጠር ያሉ ሰዎች በረሃብ ይሰቃያሉ፡፡ የኢትዮጵያ ታጣቂ ኃይሎች ከኤርትራ አጋሮቻቸው ጋር በዋናነት በትግራይ ምስራቅ እና መሃል የሚገኙትን ዋና የትራፊክ መጋጠሚያዎችን ይቆጣጠራሉ፡፡ ከመንገዶች ባሻገር በማይንቀሳቀስባቸው አካባቢዎች ግን ውጊያው እንደቀጠለ ነው። የትግራይ መከላከያ ሰራዊት አባላት ፥ የቀድሞው የትግራይ ህዝብ ነፃ አውጪ ግንባር (የህወሓት) ወታደራዊ ክንድ እዚያ እየተዋጉ ነው።

💭 ብዙ የጀርመን ሜዲያዎች ሰሞኑን ኢትዮጵያን “የጠንቋዮች ማሞቂያ ድስት/Hexenkessel„ (“ውጥንቅጧ የወጣ እና ስርዓት አልበኝነት የሰፈነባት ሃገር ማለት ነው።) ብለው በመጥራት ላይ ናቸው። የአቴቴ ድስት። እየተሠራ ያለው ግፍ ከኢትዮጵያ ያልጠበቁት ስለሆነ በጣም ነው ያስገረማቸው።

አዎ! የተፈለገው ይህ አይደል፤ ኢትዮጵያ ውጥንቅጧ ወጥቶ እና ተዋርዳ አህዛብና መናፍቃን የሚያልሙላትን “እስላማዊት ኩሽ ኦሮሚያን” ለመመሥረት። እነ ማርቲን ሉተር በተረጎሙት መጽሐፍ ቅዱሳቸው እኮ “ኩሽ” የሚለውን የኢትዮጵያን መጠሪያ ያቆዩት ለብዙ ዓመታት ሊፈጽሙት የተዘጋጁበትን ተግባር ለማስፈጸም ሕልም ስላላቸው ነው።

፪ኛ. ለዚህም ዋቀፌታን/ኦሮሞ ኡማን (እኛ የሙስሊም ‘ኡማ‘ ነን!” ሲሉ እንሰማለን፤ አይደል፤ አዎ! ‘ኡማ‘ የሚለው የአረብኛ ቃል፤ “የሙስሊሞች ማህበረሰብ” ወይንም “አንድ የሙስሊም ሕዝብ” ማለት ነው።

ሰሞኑን አረመኔው ግራኝ አብዮት አህመድ አሊ፤ “ሕዝብ እና ሕዝቦች” እያለ ሲቀበጣጥር ሰምተነዋል፤ አዎ! በአንድ ድንጋይ ብዙ ወፎች መግደል የለመደው ይህ እባብ ይህን ያለው በአንድ በኩል ይህን “የኦሮሞ ኡማ” (ታከለ ‘ኡማ’) ለመጠቆም በማሰብ ሲሆን፤ በሌላ በኩል ላለፉት ሦስት ዓመታት፣ በተለይ ዛሬ በትግራይ ሕዝብ ላይ እየተሠራ ያለውን ግፍ “በሁሉም ኢትዮጵያውያን የተሠራ ነው፣ ማንም ይሁን ማን አንድ የሆነው የኢትዮጵያ ሕዝብ ነው ወንጀ እየሠራ ያለው፤ ማሳደዱን፣ ደፈራውን፣ ማፈናቀሉን፣ የሰው ልጅ ኩላሊት አውጥቶ መብላቱን፣ የእርጉዟን ሴት ማህጸን ከፍቶ ጨቅላዋን ማውጣቱን፣ የሰውን ልጅ በጅምላ ገድሎ በጅምላ መቅበሩን፣ ለዓለም ዓቀፉ ማሕበረሰብ ደግሞ ደጋግሞ መዋሸቱን ብሎም ሕፃናትን በኬሚካል ሳይቀር መጨፍጨፉን፤ ይህ አንድ የሆነው የኢትዮጵያ ሕዝብ እንጂ ኦሮሞ ተነጥሎ አረመኔ መባል የለበትም።” ማለት በመሻት ነው። የበሻሻ ቆሻሻው ግራኝ የኢትዮጵያን እና የኢትዮጵያውያንን ስምና ክብር በመላው ዓለም ማጠለሸትና ማዋረድ ከዋና ዋና ዕቅዶቹ አንዱ ስለሆነ ነው እንደ አበደ ውሻ ወዲያ ወዲያ እያለ የሚቅበዘበዘው። ገና ስልጣን ላይ ሲወጣ ኢትዮጵያውያንን መገድል የጀመረውና የኢትዮጵያ አየር መንገድንም እንዲከሰከስ ያደረገው ከዚህ ዕቅዱ ጋር በተያያዘ ነው።

ግራኝ በእንቅልፉም በውኑም የሚታየውና በመስራትም ላይ ያለው፤ “ሌላ ጊዜ ፈጽሞ የማይገኝ ወርቃማ ዕድል ለእኛ ኦርሞዎች ስለተሰጠን ኢትዮጵያን እናፍርሳትና እስላማዊት ኩሽ ኦሮሚያን እንገነባለን፤ የሕዳሴውን ግድብ ጨምሮ በኢትዮጵያ ስም አስፈላጊውን ገንዘብ፣ ጉልበትና ጊዜ ሰብስበን ይህን መተገበር አለብን።” የሚለው ብቻ ነው። አሁን ሊጣል የታቀደው ማዕቀብ በቅድሚያ የኦሮሞ ኡማን የጀርባ አጥንት ነው የሚሰበረው። መሰበርም አለበት!

የአህዛብና መናፍቃን ፍሬ የሆነ ግራኝ እና ኦሮሞ መንጋው ከኤዶማውያኑ እና እስማኤላውያኑ ጋር በማበር ኢትዮጵያን፣ ኢትዮጵያዊነትንና ተዋሕዶ ክርስትናን አጥፍተው የራሳቸውን ርዕዮተ ዓለማት ማስፋፋት ይሻሉና ነው። የፕሮቴስታንቲዝም አባት ማርቲን ሉተር ወደ ጀርመንኛ በተረጎመው መጽሐፍ ቅዱስ ‘ኢትዮጵያን‘ ‘ኩሽ‘ ብሎ ነው የጻፋት። ይህ ቀላል ነገር እንዳይመስለን። እ.አ.አ ከ 1837 እስከ 1843 ዓ.ም ባለው ጊዜ ፕሮቴስታንቱ ጀርመናዊ ዮኻን ክራፕፍ ኦሮሚያ የተባለውን ግዛት ለመመሥረት የተነሳሳው ክርስትናን ለማስፋፋት ሳይሆን፡ እንደ አንድ ፕሮቴስታንት የኢትዮጵያ ቀጥተኛ ተዋሕዶ ቤተክርስቲያንን ለመዋጋት ነው። ለዚህም በወራሪነት ባሕርይ ከጀርመኖች ጋር ይስማማሉ በሚል ሃሳብ “ጋላ” ተብለው ሲጠሩ የነበሩትን ጎሳዎች ለማደራጀት በመነሳሳት በ ‘ኢትዮጵያ‘ ፋንታ ‘ኩሽ‘ የሚለው ትርጉም ያለበትን መጽሐፍ ቅዱስ ይዞ ወደ ምስራቅ አፍሪቃ/ኢትዮጵያ ተጓዝ፤ በዚህም የኦሮሙማ እንቅስቃሴን ጀመረው። ተልዕኮው ፀረ–ኢትዮጵያ፣ ፀረ–ተዋሕዶ እና የክርስቶስ ተቃዋሚ ተልዕኮ መሆኑን ዛሬ እያየነው ነው። ዋናው ዲያብሎሳዊ ዓላማቸው፤ ኢትዮጵያን አፍርሰው ኢትዮጵያ እና ኢትዮጵያዊነትንም በተለይ ከአማራና ትግሬ በመንጠቅ “መጽሐፍ ቅዱስ ውስጥ የተጠቀሰችው ኩሽ እኛ ነን” የሚለው ነው።

💭 ለዚህም ሤራ ዛሬ በሥራ ላይ ከሚያውሏቸው ድርጊቶቹ መካከል፤

በትግራይ ላይ ጦርነት በመክፈትና የትግራይ ሕዝብም ትክክለኛዋንና የጥንቷን ኢትዮጵያ ሳይሆን ይህችን አፄ ምኒልክ የቆረቆሯትን ኢትዮጵያን ጠልቶ እንዲተፋት፣ ቤተክህነትም እንድትከፋፈልና ከጎናቸው እንዳትቆም አባቶችን በማስፈራራት ምርር ብሎትና ተስፋ ቆርጦ ከቤተ ክስቲያኗ እንዲርቅ በማድረግ “ኢትዮጵያን መንጠቅ”። “አማራ” በተባለው ኢትዮጵያዊ በኩልም በኦሮሚያ ሲዖል የሚገኙትን አማርኛ ቋንቋ ተናጋሪዎችና ተዋሕዶ ክርስቲያኖች ቀስ በቀስ እየጨፈጨፉ መጨረስ፤ ከትግራይ ሕዝብ ጋር ማባላትና ቁጥራቸውን መቀነስ፣ በዚህ ግራ የሚጋባውን “አማራ” የራሱ “የአማራ ማንነት” እንዲፈጥር መገፋፋት፣ ለዚህም ይረዱ ዘንድ እንደ ታየ ቦጋለ፣ ታዲዮስ ታንቱ፣ ኤርሚያስ ለገሰ እና የመሳሰሉ ኦሮሞ ኡማዎች እንዲሁም የስጋ ማንነትና ምንነት ያላቸውን ደቡባውያን መልምለው አዘጋጅተዋል። ከአማራው በላይ አማራ ሆነው እንዲታዩና አማራው መስማት የሚፈልገውን እንዲቀልቡት ይሠሩ ዘንድ ሲቅበዘበዙ እያየናቸው ነው።

የዚህ ሁሉ መቅበዝበዝ ትክክለኛዎቹ ኢትዮጵያውያን የሆኑት ትግራዋያን እና ያልተዳቀሉት አማርኛ ተናጋሪ ተዋሕዶ “አማራዎች” ኢትዮጵያን እርግፍ አድርገው በመተው እንደ ያዕቆብና ዔሳው ብኩራና ለማስረከብ ብሎም እስራኤል ዘ-ነፍስ የተባለችውን መንፈሳዊቷን ኢትዮጵያን ለመስረቅና “እስላማዊት ኩሽ” በሚል ዲያብሎሳዊ ህልም መጽሐፍ ቅዱስ ላይ የተጠቀሰችው ገናናው “ኩሽ/ኢትዮጵያ” እኛ ነን ለማለት በማሰብ ነው። የመሀመድ ሰይጣን የሺህ አራት መቶ ዓመታት ህልም እንዲሁም የማርቲን ሉተር የአምስት መቶ ዓመታት ህልም መሆኑ ነው። በጣም የሚገርም ነው፤ የዲያብሎስ ብልጠት እኮ በጣም አደገኛ ነው፤ ግን ኦሮሞ ኡማዎቹ ይህ ድፍረታቸው መጥፊያቸው እንጂ በጭራሽ ሊሳካላቸው አይችልም፤ በተለይ የስጋ ማንነትና ምንነት ያለው አንድ ሕዝብ የመንፈስ ማንነት እና ምንነት ያለውን ሕዝብ የመንጠቅ፣ የመቀማት ብሎም የማጥፋት መለኮታዊ ፈቃድ የለውምና ነው።

“ሌባው ሊሰርቅና ሊያርድ ሊያጠፋም እንጂ ስለ ሌላ አይመጣም”[የዮሐንስ ወንጌል ምዕራፍ ፲፥፲]

💭 Der Krieg in Tigray sei vorbei, sagt Äthiopiens Regierung. Auf einer Reise durch die Provinz erlebt das Weltspiegel-Team etwas anderes: Eritreas Armee ist weiter präsent, Vergewaltigungen sind an der Tagesordnung – und auf dem Land leiden die Menschen unter Hunger. Äthiopische Streitkräfte mit ihren Verbündeten aus Eritrea kontrollieren vor allem die Hauptverkehrsachsen im Osten und Zentrum Tigrays. In den unwegsamen Gebieten jenseits der Straßen wird aber heftig weiter gekämpft. Dort kämpfen Mitglieder der “Tigray Defence Forces” (TDF) – der militärische Arm der früheren, abtrünnigen Volksbefreiungsfront von Tigray (TPLF).

💭 The war in Tigray is over, says Ethiopia’s government. On a trip through the province, the ARD ‘Weltspiegel’ team experienced something different: Eritrea’s army is still present, rape is the order of the day – and people in the countryside suffer from hunger. Ethiopian armed forces with their allies from Eritrea mainly control the main traffic axes in the east and center of Tigray. In the impassable areas beyond the roads, however, the fighting continues. Members of the Tigray Defense Forces (TDF) – the military arm of the former, renegade Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) – are fighting there.

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#ChristianGenocide | A Massacre in Abuna Yemata Guh, at The Foot of The Famous Rock-Hewn Church

✞✞✞የአቡነ ይምዓታ ጉህ ቤተክርስቲያን ጭፍጨፋ ✞✞✞

ዓርብ ሚያዝያ ፳፱/፪ሺ፲፫ ዓ.ም ፤ ፲፱/19 ክርስቲያን አባቶች፣ እናቶች እና ሕፃናት/ጨቅላዎችን ጨምሮ ባሰቃቂ መልክ ተገድለው የሰማዕትነትን አክሊል ሲቀዳጁ፤ ሁለቱ ደግሞ ክፉኛ ቆስለው ሕክምና እየተደረገላቸው ነው።

✞✞✞ነፍሳቸውን በቅዱሳኑ ዕቅፍ ያኑርንል ከማህበረ ፃድቃን ይደምርልን!✞✞✞

💭 እየተገድሉ ያሉት ክርስቲያኖች ብቻ መሆናቸውን እየመዘገብነው ነው፤ ኢትዮጵያዊነት የሌለው አብዛኛው “ኢትዮጵያዊ” የተባለ ብሔር ብሔረሰብ ይህን በትግራይ ሕዝብ ላይ እየእካሄደ ያለውን ጭፍጨፋ ይፈልገዋል፤ ፺/90% . ባይፈልገው ኖሮ ይህ በኬሚካል መሳሪያዎች ሳይቀር እየተፈጸመ ያለው ጭፍጨፋ በአንድ ቀን ውስጥ በቆመ ነበር፤ ግን የኦሮሞዎች፣ አማራዎች እና የደቡብ ብሔር ብሔረሰቦች ፍላጎት ይህ አይደለም፤ ዋናው ዓላማቸው የትግራይን ክርስቲያኖች ከምድረ ገጽ ማጥፋት ነው። ከዓመታት በፊት ሲሰማኝ የነበረ ስሜት ነው፤ ኦሮሞዎች እና ኦሮማራዎች የኑክሌር ቦምብ ወይም ተመሳሳይ የጅምላ ማጥፊያ መሳሪያዎች ቢኖሯቸው በትግራይ ሕዝብ ላይ ወዲያው ከመጠቀም ወደ ኋላ አይሉም፤ የምጽፈውንን በደንብ አውቀዋለሁና በዚህ ፻/100% እርግጠኛ ነኝ። ኢትዮጵያ በጎሳዎች እንድትከለል መደረጉ ያበረከተልን ትልቅ ነገር ቢኖር በጎሳ ደረጃ ማን ማን እንደሆነ፣ ምን ምን እንደሆነ ለይተን እንድናውቅና ለውደፊቱ እንድንጠነቀቅ መፍቀዱ ነው። አዎ! የመንፈስ ማንነትና ምንነት ያላቸው ጎሳዎች የስጋ ማንነትና ምንነት ካላቸው ጎሳዎች ጋር፤ ወደ መንፈሳዊ ሕይወት እንዲመጡ እስካልተደረጉ/እስካልተገደዱ ድረስ፤ እንኳን በአንድ አገር አብረው ሊኖሩ፤ በጉርብትናም እንኳን መኖር አይገባቸውም፤ በተለይ በዚህ በምንገኝበት በዘመን ፍጻሜ!

Gebrehiwet Gebreanenya and Abraha Gebreanenya are two married brothers who live in the house of their parents with their elderly father Gebreanenya Gebreegziabher, their wives and children. Gebrehiwet and his wife Tsegu Gebremichael had two children, Samrawit and Yordanos; and Abraha, his elder brother, and his wife Hiwet Birhane, had four children: Mahlet, Zufan, Rahel and a not-yet-christened baby. Both of them are farmers and everyday they move with their cattle to grazing lands and waters, only coming back to spend the night at home.

On Friday, May 7, 2021, a fighting took place between Eritrean and Tigrayan forces in the village of Abune Y’ma’eta Guh, at the foot of the famous rock-hewn church. The village residents all fled to the mountains and spent the day in caves. In the evening, when the fighting stopped, they came down to their village to spend the night in their homes. The next day, on Saturday, Gebrehiwet and Abraha discussed the plan for the day and as usual left with their cattle. The plan was for their wives, their children and their elderly father to join the other village residents and flee to the caves as they did the day before. Everyone was preparing food, water and other essentials for the day and early around 8 AM, just when they were about to leave the village, Eritrean troops unexpectedly came to the village, visited the houses, dragged the civilians out and massacred them in their farmlands. They shot 21 people in total and 19 of them died, two survived but in severely wounded condition. Seven of the killed are children under the age of 10, one of them a one-month-old baby. They killed everyone they found in the village.

The victims included 9 members of the Gebreaneneya family and 12 others. These are: Akebom Gebresilassie, Amit Abadi, Gidey Gebreqorqos , Awetash Tsadiq, Tsegu Gebreegzibher with her son, Tekle Gebrehiet, Alemtsehay Gidey (her son severely wounded). Birhan Abraha (with her two children). Alemtsehay’s father, Gidey, was killed by Ethiopian and Eritrean soldiers back in November.

When Gebrehiwet and Abraha came back in the evening, they found 8 members of the household massacred in a field some 20 minutes-walk away from their house. Their father Gebreanenya, Abraha’s wife and his four children including the not-yet-christened baby were all killed. Gebrehiwet’s wife Tsegu and his 2-year-old daughter Yordanos were also killed. His daughter Samrawit was wounded by bullets and machete, but she survived.

The troops first shot Samrawit on her right thigh and leg. When they knew she was not dead, they used machete to injure her right thigh and leg. Samrawit is four and half years old. Her father brought her to Ayder on foot through Agoza-Tsigereda route because the Megab – Abraha we Atsbeha route was occupied by the troops. Some other men from the village helped him carry her in an improvised stretcher. They started the journey on Thursday May 13 (05/09/2013 ዓ/ም) and arrived at Ayder Referral Hospital on Saturday May 15. They were lucky to find a car on the way from Tsigereda to Wukro, which brought them to Mekelle.

Source

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#TigrayGenocide | US Restricting Visas to Ethiopian Eritrean Officials as The Massacre Continues

The United States has announced visa restrictions on Ethiopian and Eritrean officials who are accused of fuelling the conflict in Ethiopia’s Tigray region. Thousands of people are estimated to have died in the six month-long conflict there between national troops and the region’s Tigray and People’s Liberation Front, with tens of thousands more having fled to Sudan.

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