Int'l Commission of Human Rights Report Echoes the Misinformation Campaign on Ethiopia

1247

BY Staff Writer

The International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia (ICHREE), imposed on Ethiopia in violations of international laws and norms by United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), issued its draft report. Accordingly, the world has just witnessed the most alarming, one sided report and pro-TPLF; the report seems to have been produced according to preplanned  scripts, not a product of thorough investigation. The report is not only one sided and biased against the people and government of Ethiopia but has totally failed to accent the truth on the ground deliberately relying on selected virtual interviews meant to demonize the government of Ethiopia and ENDF as violators of human rights. The report has almost sanctified terrorist TPLF.

The report deliberately glosses over who actually started the war, terrorist TPLF. While the commissioners  have full evidence who kick started the war marred with criminal acts, they skipped the atrocities in Amhara and Afar, refraining  from  calling a spade a spade.

The contents of the report clearly synchronize with terrorist TPLF propaganda that has been broadcasted by the media centers of the group and many international media outlets. The draft report clearly indicates that it is prepared to criminalize the ENDF and the government of Ethiopia--backing the international misinformation campaigns on Ethiopia. The report provides a propaganda, political and diplomatic support for terrorist TPLF as a smokescreen to cover its genocidal acts, human rights violations and crimes against humanity in Amhara and Afar regions.

The incomplete and incoherent report is deliberately released at this point in time to save terrorist TPLF and tarnish the ENDF while it is constitutionally duty-bound to defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ethiopia. The commission issued politically driven report: unverified, biased and partial information to the entire world.

It is to be recalled that Ethiopia facilitated the smooth functioning of the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), from 16 May to 30 August 2021 to conduct a joint investigation into alleged human rights violations in Tigray. The ICHREE's draft report, however, has deliberately ignored the recommendations put forward by the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) of EHRC and OHCHR. This has been done to belittle Ethiopia’s participation in the earlier round of investigation conducted on human rights. By skimming, one can easily detect the report is inconsistent and incoherent without any standard tool to verify allegations.

It is noted that Ethiopia has been implementing the recommendation put forward by the JIT by establishing ministerial committee to investigate into alleged human rights violations in all areas including Amhara and Tigray where civilians had been subjected to sexual assault, extrajudicial killings, and the likes. The Ethiopian Government also took measures and brought suspects before courts of law. Pertinent institutions such as EHRC, Federal Police, and Ministry of Justice were part of the investigation committee. The committee also took preliminary actions in ensuring accountability for any level of violation of human rights wherever and whenever. The report never acknowledges the efforts made by the Ethiopian Government.

The report, with all intents and purposes and with deliberate efforts to conceal the crimes done in Amhara and Afar regions by the terrorist TPLF, failed to even mention the massacre in Mai Kadra, Humera, Kombolcha, Diese, Haik, Dansha, Abergele, Alamata, Sekota Galikoma, Abala in Afar, Woldiya and several districts in Northern Wollo Zone.

In Mai Kadra, international news reporters have time and again reported with eye witness where daily laborers in thousands were massacred by the Samri group of terrorist TPLF. Common graveyards in Chena provide a vivid testimonial of hundreds who were exterminated in cold blood by terrorist armed gangs from TPLF.

It is also to be recalled that Gondar University has conducted and documented an extensive report on the terrorist TPLF operational genocidal act in Wolkayit area in which the terrorist group had conducted ethnic cleansing against all non-Tigray population in the area.

In almost all areas in Amhara and Afar where the terrorist group invaded, places of worship including , for instance, in the famous Waldiba Monastery, monks were killed in untold savagery, girls and housewives were raped, in some instances, by gangs. The report never mentions such instances.

This commission's report speculated and wrongly tried to justify the massacre in Chena and Kobo stating that the terrorist group was provoked by the joint forces. This clearly indicates that for the commission it is alright if children, mothers, the elderly and the disabled, monks and sheiks in Chena and Kobo were massacred as if their lives never matter. If the commission was independent, it would expose such appalling crimes; however, as it was compiled according to the  script written elsewhere, the commission has glossed over the glaring facts.

It is interesting to note the political overtone from which the draft report utterly suffers and under no circumstances indicate that it is issued from globally commissioned human rights organization which is expected to be impartial, balanced, and accurate and well stated with evidence. It is crystal clear who are behind the report.

With no evidence at hand or in any form, the draft report accuses the ENDF for destroying infrastructure facilities in Tigray forgetting the fact that the government has previously expended close to 100 billion Birr for the rehabilitation of Tigray.

Any human beings under whatever conditions may have the right to have access to food and medicaments. The report never uttered a word on terrorists TPLF lootings of food meant for the needy in Tigray and theft on more than half a million liters of fuel and thousands of heavy duty trucks leased by WFP. If human rights are anything, the UN human rights body should have conducted its report right on the field or should have been bold enough to verify its draft report with the reality on the ground.  

Hoarding food meant for the needy people in Tigray and taking the entire people hostage, forcing children and the elderly into war front by terrorist TPLF –were glaring crimes which were glossed over by the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia. The report is not an investigative report on human rights but a political document to make terrorist TPLF with no blemish and is a propaganda document.  

TPLF had been for its violation of human rights during its EPRDF-led government in Ethiopia. Thousands were thrown to dungeons, castrated, decapitated and disabled. The terrorist group perpetrated horrible crimes when it occupied Afar and Amhara. The terrorist group also committed caused huge infrastructure facilities, looted private and public properties in the two regions. Terrorist TPLF has also mastermind many of the destabilization and mass killings which were foiled by the national security apparatus. Surprisingly, according to the pre-set script, TPLF has now been sanctified.

By all standards,  the ICHRE draft report, produced  based on virtual investigation,  is not only subject to scrutiny but it is also subjective in the sense that everything depended on the whims and desires of those three investigators who simply submitted to the wishes dark forces.

The report glosses over the plights of the IDPs and the tragic killing of over one hundred children, mothers and older persons who were gathered in Galikoma, Afar, for a medical treatment in public clinics. Remaining silent on the death of children in Amhara and Afar regions is tantamount to endorsing the crimes while false accusation hurdled on the ENDF and the government as part of the international conspiracy—i.e. a deliberate propaganda war on a sovereign country.

Ethiopian News Agency
2023