Western Nations Double Standards on Ethiopia, Unacceptable

BY A STAFF WRITER

As usual, some Western countries and their media outlets have continued waging a propaganda war on Ethiopia, not only supporting the terrorist TPLF but also serving as its mouth piece.

They have Weaponized   the urgent needs and sufferings of citizens in the humanitarian situation in Tigray for political needs by repeating the misinformation campaign on the country.

It is clear that when the Ethiopian National Defence Force (ENDF) was controlling Tigrai for eight months, humanitarian assistance was delivered to Tigray.

Following the Ethiopian Government decided unilateral ceasefire, the ENDF, withdrew from Tigray. The terrorist TPLF intensifies the escalation a larger areas of the Amhara and Afar states through the diplomatic assistance and military satellite information it got from the US, some western countries, including UN systems, to the extent that the terrorist boasted too much saying it was advancing to Addis Ababa.

The US and its western allies were sure that the terrorist would control Arat Killo. Both the United States of America and some of the western Nations do not have the moral to accuse Ethiopia of blocking of humanitarian assistance to Tigrai. This is a propaganda campaign waging on Ethiopia.  

In fact, from the beginning, this became a major strategy of the UN agencies and the EU-US coalitions to discredit the massive disaster mitigation efforts underway by the Ethiopian government in Tigray.

It is regrettable to witness that the global campaign is solely targeting and discrediting the nation’s efforts to ease the plight of citizens in Tigray. What is actually inhuman is politicizing on the temporary needs of citizens in Tigray. The terrorist is to account in this regard.

From the outset, the double standard that the US is employing on the situation in Tigray is clear. In his online exchange of views with Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed on twitter  on bilateral and relief program in Tigray, US Senator Jim Inhofe did  not only appreciate the response so far made by the government but promised that his country would cooperate with the government in supporting the ongoing relief and rehabilitation program in Tigray.

On the other hand, briefing the UNSC on the 4^th of March, US State Department Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Mark Lowcock, briefed the Security Council on Tigray focusing on the current humanitarian situation in the region; access to the region; and action needed to scale up humanitarian deliveries.

He added that food security was a major concern. Access to water, hygiene and sanitation services are largely disrupted. He emphasized the need to restoring of basic communications and banking services.

All that has been recommended by the Under Secretary are being undertaken and it is obvious who is responsible for the disruption of WASH infrastructures in the region.

For instance, only recently, fugitive forces of the TPLF destroyed a major electric power supply for Tigray and electrical engineers of the Ethiopia Electric Utility had to swiftly fix the damage again.  He makes no mention of who has done this any why.  

The government of Ethiopia  reported that it was providing 70 percent of the relief supplies in Tigray reaching out to more than 3 million needy population while  additional 64,000 MT of food was imported.  

Instead of providing full support for government efforts, international organizations working on human rights are busty blaming Ethiopia even for the atrocities committed by the TPLF.

Despite repeated explanations and briefings made by the higher officials of the Ethiopian government, the propaganda war on Ethiopia has continued unabated.

Ethiopia is a sovereign state with a responsible government which is conducting a massive relief program alongside the reform programs that are underway in the country.

The country expects from all international organizations and UN systems partnering with the government to be on board in relief and development programs.

There is no government across the globe as concerned as the government of Ethiopia on the situation in Tigray which is now a top priority for the country.

If the US and some western nations have ears to listen, the recent decision made by the Ethiopian government ordering the ENDF not to advance in Tigrai is out true concern for the people of Tigrai. The point is that America and the western nations have strong bondage with the terrorist, not with the Tigrai people.  

The United States and some European nations clearly know the deep-seated problems of Ethiopia are not created by the incumbent government. The International organizations are not ready to accept the clear fact that it was TPLF that triggered a cowardice attack on a peaceful Northern Command of the Ethiopian army. However, glossing over the fact that Ethiopia has to restore law and order in the region, media moguls in the western countries and UN-EU-US coalition are taking about the civil war in Ethiopia as if nations and nationalities in the country are fighting against each other.

Ethiopians are not fools; they can understand what the Americans and their allies have done in Syria, Yemen, Iraq, Afghanistan and the likes.

This is simply a deliberate propaganda attempting to put TPLF on equal footing—i.e. if the terrorist commits atrocities, a blame must be pointed to the government.  America and its allies  never care to learn the truth about the massacre conducted by the terrorist TPLF Special Forces in Mai Kadra, Setit Humera, Metekel, Gulisso and other places in the southern part of the country. The culprit is quite visible but the government is squarely blamed.

Incidentally, it is to be noted that some of these massacres have already been confirmed both by Amnesty International and the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission.

Ethiopia has all the capacity to clear up the atrocities that are committed by TPLF in Tigray and will not succumb to the alligator’s tears from the international humanitarian organizations, governments and some UN systems.

Providing indirect diplomatic and propaganda support for a terrorist TPLF which wishes to impose its apartheid style administration on the peoples of Ethiopia is totally against the wishes of the peoples of this nation.

When Ethiopia takes a number of steps to restore peace and order in the country, international media outlets on their part are out to discredit and lament on everything that the government is doing to stabilize the internal condition of this part of the sovereign territory of the country.

The almost unanimous blame game on Ethiopia needs to be replaced by genuine understanding of the root causes of the crisis, with sound recommendations on how to rehabilitate normal life in Tigray. It is very important to make TPLF accountable  for the atrocities it has committed on the peoples of Ethiopia, its violation of human rights in the official and special dungeons it has created for torturing innocent citizens simply because they were not in agreement with the policy the terrorist.

Ethiopia remains committed to its international obligations under international law and UN Charter but still maintains its legal right to determine its affairs with no dictate from anywhere else.  Ethiopia needs external encouragement and support, not relief politics.