Ethiopia at the Glance of 2021: Under Immense Int’l Attacks

BY GETNET SHENKUTE

The over-ended year 2021 was a critical year for Ethiopia. The country was clearly going under immense attacks by the international community particularly, the United States and some of its Western allies. Following the terrorist TPLF  surprise attacks launched in the dark of November 4, 2020 against the Northern Command of the National Defense Force, Western countries have stood in favor of this tyranny group for everything.

Furthermore, the year 2021 has been a tense year for Ethiopia. Those internal enemies, mostly the Western powers and other foreign antagonists attacked Ethiopia by agitating insurrection, spreading disinformation, false media reports  and diplomatic pressure. Some of the international actors were clearly meddling in affairs of the country,  favoring the terrorist TPLF.

It is a public knowledge that the terrorist group TPLF, which supported by America and other foreign forces, including elements within the UN is attempting to dismember Ethiopia. Similarly, those Western powers have launched far-reaching and well coordinated attacks against the state through information warfare and unreasonable economic sanctions.

With all kinds of pressures that come from the US and European Union as well as some member countries, Ethiopia once again found herself  in 2021 betrayed and threatened by the same  bloc, particularly by the US just after 85 years.

 Ethiopia has been also betrayed by the United Nations (UN) which the country had made such a fundamental contribution for the establishment of this organization.

Going back to 85 years ago in 1936, Ethiopia had appealed to the League of Nations to condemn the Italian invasion against its sovereignty. But by rejecting all arbitration offers, the Italians invaded Ethiopia and the League of Nations response to Ethiopian appeals, urging this international body to vote to impose economic sanctions on the aggressor had remained ineffective.

Similarly, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) showed  betrayal to Ethiopia by holding sessions more than 10 times in 2021 alone to undermine the integrity of the country to  advance the political interests of those western nations. However, the conspirators’ agendas were repeatedly foiled by the true friends of Ethiopia like Russia, China, India and among other nations at the Security Council.All in all, Ethiopia has successfully overcome the enormous external and internal difficulties it has encountered with a victorious move.

However, the new US administration and the European Union started to rescue the TPLF by taking the human rights concerns as a pretext. For instance, the American administration was constantly accusing the Ethiopian government in ethnic cleansing and using hunger as a weapon of war.

Though, many argue that the reason that America has been continuing intimidation and intensifying tremendous pressure against Ethiopia is due to a group of people in the Biden Administration who have longtime ties to the TPLF.

“On the simplest level, you have a group of people in the Biden Administration who have longtime ties to the TPLF, they work with the TPLF and support the TPLF. They’re also the same group of people who were in the Obama Administration who advocate the overthrow and assassination of President Qaddafi,” the American political-economic analyst Lawrence Freeman told Ethiopian News Agency just before a month ago.

In March 2021, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken falsely described the conflict in Tigray as acts of “ethnic cleansing” to threaten Ethiopia. Blinken also traveled to various neighboring countries including Kenya and Sudan to make a diplomatic siege on Ethiopia. This crystallizes the intent of the United States of America to weaken Ethiopia.

As part of its unwarranted pressure against Ethiopia, in May 2021, US had announced visa restrictions for “any current or former” Ethiopian, Eritrean officials “responsible for, or complicit in, undermining resolution of the crisis in Tigray,” to which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs  Ethiopia said “Ethiopia would be forced to reassess its relations with the US in the face of such pressures.”

In 2021 the western mainstream media outlets were entirely in the forefront in defaming and launching orchestrated information warfare on the reputation of Ethiopia. In this regard,  CNN had a line’s share by disseminating a one sided and misleading reports about Ethiopia.

Despite the daunting challenges of the year--i.e. the all-round attacks launched both from domestic and foreign enemies against the country, Ethiopia has registered millstone success, making bold decisions in many areas to  ensure the integrity of the country.  One of the historical events of the year is the 6th general elections that Ethiopia conducted in June 21, which was described 2021 as the fairest elections.

Surprisingly, in August 2021, Ethiopia had also announced the effective completion of the second year reservoir filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

Moreover, in the month of June 2021, Ethiopia announced a unilateral ceasefire and the Ethiopian National Defense Force had left Tigray when the move followed a request by the Tigray Regional State Interim Administration. The unilateral ceasefire was viewed to facilitate humanitarian assistance, peaceful livelihood in the region as well as agriculture activities amid the approaching of rainy season.

Very unfortunately, TPLF, the conflict enterprise described that the unilateral ceasefire  as “it is a sick joke” and the group advanced its belligerence into the adjacent regional states of Amhara and Afar. During its aggression in these regional states, the terrorist TPLF recruited child soldiers that were shockingly glorified by the Western giant media outlets like The New York Times.   

This terrorist group deployed hundreds of thousands of innocent citizens to war fronts, a significant number of them were killed, many more sustaining  injuries, still many more have surrendered to the ENDF.  

The terrorist TPLf, during it occupation In Amhara and Afar states, have killed many citizens, displacing millions their homes, and deliberately destroyed infrastructure facilities like hospitals, and schools and others.

Whereas, much glorious to the Ethiopian Defence Force, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's bold decision to command the military operation from the war fronts,  the army was stimulated to rout out the terrorist TPLF from Amhara and Afar regional states in less than two weeks of operation. In this operation, once again TPLF has been defeated disgracefully. The sons, daughters,  leaders of Ethiopia  as well as its Diaspora residing  abroad  have  rallied  in unity against the coordinated  attacks and persevered with the nation with sheer strength and support from global friends.

Particularly, Ethiopians in the Diaspora have played an important role in bringing Ethiopia's issues to the forefront. For example, Ethiopian Diaspora advocacy groups and the #NoMore movement have galvanized Ethiopians to get their voices heard, rallying  other Africans to join the movement against the West's attempt to impose neocolonialism and control Africa for its resources.

In this regard, the victory has reaffirmed Ethiopia can prevail through its own internal strength, unity, collaboration of positive forces and tolerance.

As we are looking forward to the year 2022, we know that Ethiopia will face many challenges but these difficulties are not going to be of any surprise. Ethiopians are very hopeful that the war in the northern part of the country will come to an end.

The great homecoming by the Ethiopian Diaspora is also expected to stimulate the country’s   finances and it is estimated that 10 to 15 percent increase in foreign remittances.

In the year 2021, Ethiopia in the diplomacy arena witnessed exceptional diplomatic and citizen-centered activities in withstanding undue and unwarranted pressures and standing together for the good of Ethiopia and its people.  Therefore, as Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Dina Mufti told the media last week, Ethiopia’s vision for 2022 is to further bolster its relations with close allies and engage those countries that have been disgruntled and confused about the current situation in the country.