Opposition Party Chair Calls on Int’l Community to Consider Reality in Tigray Region

Addis Ababa July 2/2021 (ENA) The opposition Ethiopian Social Democratic Party Chairperson Professor Beyene Petros has called on the international community to consider all the facts on the ground in Tigray Region instead of being swayed by propaganda fabricated locally and in the Diaspora.

In an exclusive interview with ENA, the party chairperson said the accusations of the international community are unfounded and not based on facts.

The TPLF rogue which is the cause of all the problems in region has imposed itself on the people of Tigray by force, he added.

“In my judgment the decision taken by the government to declare unilateral ceasefire is the most appropriate and respected decision. It’s also timely,” according to the chairperson.

According to him, the decision was reached after all possibilities to normalize the situation in the region were exhausted.

Regarding the withdrawal of the Ethiopian National Defense Force from the region, Professor Beyene noted that “no government can stay in a hostile area where the population sides with an adversary group that comprises criminals.”

Currently, some groups are not appreciating what the government has been doing to assist the Tigray population and normalize the politics there.

He dismissed those by saying that “they just are singing the same rhyme that the TPLF sings accusing the central government and trying to undermine the efforts of the ENDF.”

Professor Beyene further explained that this is a very intelligent decision for the government to withdraw and see how the population and elite of Tigray both in the diaspora and local react to this move in the major center of Tigray.

He stressed that “the international community must act by considering all the facts on the ground and not be swayed by propaganda both locally and in the diaspora. We know the TPLF for over the past close to 30 years and it has been working with the diplomatic community and all major media outlets which are considered as being sources of credible information and analysis of situations. But they have all failed to report the facts on the ground.”  

Experts on Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa are suspected to be on the payroll of the TPLF for over so many years, the chairperson revealed, adding that his advice to the diplomatic community is to consider facts on the ground and refrain from playing games.

The Ethiopian government has spent over 100 billion birr to normalize the situation and assist the people of Tigray.

The opposition leader blamed the international community saying that they wouldn’t like to talk about this, but they are trying to accuse the government for the groundless information and advised them to be realistic.

According to him, the Tigrayan elite all over the world need to work with the population and come up with  a proposal for the Ethiopian government.

Professor Beyene also expressed his hope that the Tigray people would regroup and propose reasonable solutions rather than being nervous. He urged the intellectuals to guide the population in the right direction.