Category: Articles

Ethiopia is on the verge of being a failed state. The government has failed, as have the religious institutions central to our society. A country where men, women, and children are slaughtered to consolidate power is one where the social contract and humanity failed. 

Much of the violence seen throughout Ethiopian history and the atrocities being committed today in Tigray are facilitated by the ruling elite. Religious institutions, Addis Ababian communities, and celebrities in Addis Ababa are being utilized to support the Ethiopian Empire at the expense of the people. Tigrayans are being persecuted in the capital, and their families and loved ones are being starved, raped, and gunned down in Tigray. 

As a Tigrayan born and raised in Addis Ababa, I can’t help but feel betrayed by Ethiopia and Ethiopians during this dark period. Ethiopia’s history has its roots in the region of Tigray, and Tigrayans have fought to protect Ethiopia from foreign invaders for centuries. If I had not experienced it myself, I would have never thought that Ethiopians would be capable of supporting this type of genocidal war on their own people.

Ethiopian Institutions and Communities Supporting the Genocidal War on Tigray

The Ethiopian Orthodox Church, an institution of “acceptance for all humans,’’ has been preaching against those who identify with their ethnicity, some clergy openly dehumanizing Tigrayans. Well-known deacons are actively working to prevent their communities from being active against the war on Tigray. The Church even publicly supports the military operation against Tigray – not one word when Axum, the center of Christianity in the Horn of Africa, was attacked or when monks and priests are arrested in large numbers in Addis Ababa for being from Tigray. 

A few weeks ago, in a video recorded by a friend of the church, the Patriarch Abune Matthias spoke out saying he was blocked from speaking against the atrocities happening in Tigray. He explicitly mentioned that “they are threatening to exterminate Tigrayans.” He is also being persecuted just for being Tigrayan: he is now under house arrest.

Even political opposition parties are aligned with the government in regards to the genocidal war on Tigray. Regardless of the numerous reports from international organizations, they choose silence–even as Eritrean troops have breached the sovereign land of ‘Ethiopia.’ The politicians choose to pursue their personal vendettas against the EPRDF instead of being vocal against the human rights abuses and war crimes committed against Tigrayans. Lidetu Ayalew and Eng Yilikal Getnet, who were imprisoned during the period of the EPRDF, were the only ones who have been vocal against the war on Tigray.  It’s appalling to hear opposition party officials like Birhanu Nega and allies like Andargachew Tsige and Neamin Zelleke speak of Ethiopia prevailing when Ethiopia is on the verge of disintegration. 

Civil institutions are no different. The Ethiopian Human Rights Council (EHRC) has previously taken a day or two to report on the atrocities committed against Amhara communities across Ethiopia. Yet, the Council took more than three months to report on atrocities, rape, and extrajudicial killings happening to the people of Tigray. It is still busy downplaying the scale of the atrocities. I have yet to find evidence that suggests this institution is non-partisan. 

The Ethiopian feminist groups are no better. Sehin Teferra, the founder of Setaweet Movement, which is a contemporary feminist movement, was vocal about the war. She adamantly believed it was right to wage war on the elected government of Tigray. She even requested eye witness accounts for the reported rape cases. This feminist organization is now running a campaign for elections in Tigray, collaborating with the federal government. It is ironic for them to campaign for elections when the women in Tigray already elected their own regional government and are suffering widespread sexual violence at the hands of the organization’s partner. What the women in Tigray need is protection from the Ethiopian government’s mercenaries who are using them as sex slaves. I have not heard of any active engagement demanding justice for these victims. I guess, for Setaweet, rape survivors are not a priority, particularly if they are Tigrayan.

Whispers of “Junta” (coined by Abiy to refer to Tigrayan leaders and now used as a slur for all Tigrayans) are common at the office, cafes, and restaurants. Hairdressers are the worst. Women casually discussing destroying cities, cheering for the government to destroy more, to kill more.

I cannot enumerate the number of urban elites across sectors who supported this war and mobilized to cover up the war crimes. Even respectable public figures like Haile Gebresellasie, was among the many who cheered for military intervention in Tigray. He was later recorded commending the Ethiopian military and the unelected Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. As someone who was appointed to bring the government of Tigray and the federal government to the table to discuss peace, he should have been the last person to cheer for the war on Tigray.

An Ethiopian musician, Aregahegn Worash, went on record saying he would never support “killer people” when asked if he had donated money for the Tigrayan refugees in Sudan. Activists, like Tamagn Beyene, who are well known for fundraising also supported what the government originally called a “law enforcement operation.” 

Photographers, galleries, tour and travel organizations in Addis Ababa have hosted exhibitions or posted Tigray’s amazing sites online, without a word spoken about what is currently happening. The cultural appropriation is disgusting – women wearing distinctly Tigrayan jewelry and traditional hairstyles, completely ignoring the pain Tigrayans are going through. Ethiopians are so easily flaunting Tigrayan culture, and heritage to boost their business. 

Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter are also flooded with supporters of the genocidal war on Tigray. Our friends and colleagues go to social media to support the genocidal war in Tigray. They post their solidarity to the Prosperity Party, denying the atrocities that are reported by our families, regardless of it being confirmed by international organizations. Influential Youtubers justify the genocide, saying it is critical for the ‘Junta’ to be exterminated.

The Perfect Opportunity for Vengeance 

They are all synchronized in ignoring the plight of the people of Tigray. While many other Ethiopians are being killed and targeted by different groups, Tigray and Tigrayans are being deliberately targeted by the Ethiopian government itself, and its Eritrean and internal regional allies, including the Amhara militia currently occupying western Tigray. Most are using it to quench their thirst for vengeance and some to annex land as a result of hate brewed for more than a century. This war was the perfect opportunity for vengeance.  

Our own non-Tigrayan friends continue to support the war on Tigray with similar narratives. 

“There are only 5 million of your people, we can destroy you.”

“You are a minority that led the country for years so it is only right for you to be persecuted, all 5 million of you should pay for the injustices we suffered’. 

“So, what is the problem if 5 million starve for the sake of the 95 million?” 

They are not only justifying a genocide, they are also minimization Tigray’s population of over 7 million, which would be far greater had it not been for conflict and multiple state-sponsored famines in the last 100 years.

For many of them, the “Junta” has to be eradicated by any means necessary. Our families are collateral damage. Even if it means supporting a genocide. 

For many Tigrayans in Addis Ababa, our pain translated to silence, and our friends and partners found comfort in our silence. Some took it as a refusal to admit our ‘defeat.’ When they see us mourning the loss of innocent civilian lives, they label us as exaggerators. 

Some actually see this genocide as a way to settle scores, having kept bruised egos hidden for years. They waited to say, “We beat the mighty Tigrayan fighters.” What they fail to realize is that they are still in the comfort of their homes, while some poor “Ethiopian” or Eritrean soldiers fight their egoistic battles. 

They also fail to recognize that Tigray’s struggle for self-determination has never been to gain recognition as mighty. It has always been to preserve our right for survival, preserve our identity, and to build our homes and communities.

Tigrayans in Addis Ababa are being forced to assimilate in the worst ways possible. The Ethiopian government and the Addis Ababian community continue to force Tigrayans to support the government-sanctioned genocidal war on Tigray. Those who disagree are seen as being brainwashed by Tigray’s elected party, Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). They continue to claim that the horrors Tigrayans are hearing from their families are simply TPLF propaganda. 

No one is speaking out against the demonization of Tigrayans in Addis Ababa. Not our friends. Not our neighbors. No one wants to protect Tigrayans, instead the local youth threaten to take our belongings. Now that the Ethiopian government has labeled the TPLF as a terrorist organization, there are legitimate concerns about what this could mean for Tigrayans living in Addis Ababa. 

It is almost impossible to put an end to all of this without international intervention. Millions of lives are at risk–all to feed egoistic leaders and communities who are working to destroy the land of Tigray and Tigrayan identity. 

Lasty, I leave you with this Micheal Walzer quotation from his book A Foreign Policy For The Left:

“the people directly at risk may have no capacity to respond, their fellow citizens no will to respond. The victims are weak and vulnerable; their enemies are cruel; their neighbors indifferent or frightened. The rest of us watch and are shocked. This is the occasion for intervention.”

 This too shall pass.

Betty – Omna Tigray External Contributor, May 2021

Six months into the war on Tigray, the international community has finally come to acknowledge the deliberately induced humanitarian crisis affecting millions of Tigrayans. In addition to over 5.2 million Tigrayans at risk of weaponized starvation, ethnic cleansing has ravaged Western Tigray, displacing countless civilians from their homes and livelihoods.  

The ethnic cleansing in Western Tigray was acknowledged by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in his briefing to the U.S. Congress in early March 2021. However, main bodies of the international community, most notably, the European Union (EU) and United Nations Security Council (UNSC), have still not explicitly recognized the crimes being committed in Western Tigray as acts of ethnic cleansing. The lack of recognition from these bodies has prolonged impunity, delayed accountability, and allowed for the continuation of human rights violations. 

A more complete background detailing the chronological sequence of events leading up to the war on Tigray and subsequent events are needed to provide a clear picture of the character and intent of the ongoing atrocities in Western Tigray. In particular, heightened rhetoric promoting ethnic cleansing before the war, public admission of war crimes committed by armed Amhara forces amid the war, and other critical instances provide ample justification for the international community to acknowledge and act on the ethnic cleansing taking place in Western Tigray.

Demonstration of Intent by Armed Amhara Force, Fano, Commander in 2018

Among the many examples of rhetoric promoting prejudicial actions shared throughout the years, there is a persistent theme calling for “Tigrayans to be expelled from Western Tigray.”

In 2018, analysis of video evidence regarding this intent was analyzed by journalist Zecharias Zelalem. In the video, a commander of an armed Amhara group, Mesafint Teka, publicly addresses the need to expel all Tigrayans from Western Tigray, which he refers to as “Amhara territory.” He is heard in the video saying:

This intent would later manifest itself when Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed called upon these Amhara forces to participate in the offensive against Tigray that started in November 2020. 

Admission of Acts by Armed Amhara Force, Fano, Leaders

Months after the start of the war, another video interview of armed Amhara group leaders, including Gebeyehu Hiniye, Chalachew Niyew Kassa, and an unnamed third member was published. In this video, these leaders proudly admit to acts of ethnic cleansing and portray them as efforts to “take back the land.” Among these efforts include planting an Amhara flag, incorporating the area under the governance of the Amhara regional administration, handing out Amhara identification cards (IDs) to the local communities in Western Tigray, and “eliminating anybody who resisted.” 

In concluding their statement, the leaders claim that they have made sure the area “smells like Amhara,” metaphoric language intended to convey the Amharanization or de-Tigrayanization of the area. 

Above all, what is most revealing is that in this video Amhara force leaders blatantly admit to acts constituting ethnic cleansing; eliminating bodies, handing land to the Amhara administration, and issuing Amhara IDs; all with the ultimate goal of expanding their territory and power, stating “Amhara will soon rise to supremacy.”

Message to Eliminate Tigrayans

The “Amharanization” and violent expansionism described above is rooted in the disdain Amhara forces have for the people of Tigray. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF, commonly known as Doctors Without Borders) shared images of vandalized health centers in Debre Abbay, located in North Western Tigray. One of the images showed an explicit Amharic message written on a wall. It read, “[F*ck] Tigrayans. We have now handed you over to Shabiya, [Eritrean forces]. Let them fry and eat you.” This hate speech reveals the extent of the abhorrence Amhara forces have for Tigrayans.

Systematic Destruction

The destruction captured by MSF is one of many systematic crimes committed against Tigray. As an extension of the satellite images shared in his previous analysis, Ted Galt compiled different satellite images, like the ones below, including images indicating the burning of vast croplands.

New Signage, Administrative Apparatus and Residents

As Amhara forces partook in systematic destruction, the Amhara region also staged a demonstration claiming that residents of Western Tigray were requesting to be urgently incorporated into the Amhara regional state. This set the stage for occupying the area after having massacred Tigrayans or having forced them out of their homes. The Amhara regional administration then engaged in replacing the Tigrayan governing administrative apparatus with its own, including changing “Welcome” signage in several major towns. Further, houses, hotels, and businesses became occupied by new residents claiming to be Amhara. 

Amhara Regional Administration Public Notice

Subsequently, the Amhara regional administration released a public notice inviting investors to buy and use the newly annexed Tigrayan farmlands. This invitation allows investors to purchase land without a project proposal for a year. Such lenient parameters were set to expedite conquest of the area as proposals would take time to develop.

Acknowledgement of Amahara Expansion by Tigray’s Interim Regional Administration

The acts of expansionism were also confirmed by Tigray’s Interim Regional Administration Deputy Abebe Gebrehiwot Yihdego in an interview with Tigrai Tv. In the interview, Abebe explains the displacement of civilians from Western Tigray and calls for the immediate halt of the forced displacement of civilians as the increase in the number of internally displaced peoples in Tigray’s eastern cities has exhausted the resources available to sustain basic needs. Furthermore, he mentions that not even Tigrayan monks in their 90s were spared from being forced out of monasteries in Western Tigray. Abebe also emphasizes that these forced displacements are not a consequence of war but purposefully orchestrated and urges the international community to help hold the perpetrators of this forced displacement accountable. 

The International Community’s Acknowledgment of Ethnic Cleansing

Although there have been repeated calls for action, the international community has yet to acknowledge the different dimensions of the violence in Tigray. The EU and the UNSC have been reluctant about acknowledging and appropriately labeling the crimes being committed to Tigrayans during this genocidal war in Tigray. This has, without a doubt, emboldened the perpetrators and enabled Amhara forces’ quest to ethnically cleanse Western Tigray. 

The litany of crimes committed by armed Amhara forces include perpetrating sexual and gender-based violence, violently and forcefully displacing residents, imposing Amhara identity, torturing and massacring civilians, imprisoning based on ethnicity, burning and destroying villages, vandalizing and looting healthcare facilities, and blocking civilians from crossing the border to seek refuge in Sudan. 

Testimonies, as recent as May 2021, from those internally displaced from Western Tigray confirm these crimes are still being committed. These testimonies indicate a rampant breach of the most basic human rights, including the rights to life, security of the person, equal protection under the law, own property and education as per the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, to which Ethiopia is a signatory. 

The mounting evidence of these violations of international human rights law is a clear indication of the need for the international community to swiftly intervene. International bodies must not only recognize the occurrence of these acts and label them appropriately, they must act on their responsibility to protect populations being subjected to ethnic cleansing.

_{An earlier piece by the same authors on ethnic cleansing in Western Tigray can be found here.}   

Nerea Berhan and Saba Mah’derom – Omna Tigray External Contributors, May 2021

For more than six months, massacres, starvation, sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), and destruction of essential infrastructure have been widespread across the Tigray region of Ethiopia as a genocide against Tigrayans has taken place. Tigrayans are suffering in silence as telecommunications have been shut-off completely in many areas or intermittently in others. Despite all of these atrocities, the Minister of Peace Muferiat Kamil has been silent, demonstrating complicity in the face of the destruction of a people and region. 

The Minister of Peace was directly appointed by the unelected Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. Therefore, she is following the command of the federal government and is on the side of the oppressors. A Minister of Peace who truly cares about peace within Ethiopia and greater stability in the Horn of Africa would not allow such horrendous and destabilizing atrocities to occur on her watch.

The primary function of Ethiopia’s Ministry of Peace (MoP) is “to sustain the reforms that Ethiopia is currently undergoing through peace-building measures, establishing and strengthening the rule of law, and building the capacity of peace and security focused sectors.” Yet, the MoP is unequivocally failing in its duties. Protection of civilians has been ignored since the start of the war, as innocent citizens are stuck in the direct line of fire, subject to numerous shellings, shootings, sexual violence, and lootings, and are unable to receive humanitarian aid, as the federal government has restricted access across the region. 

In addition to allowing the atrocities to continue, the MoP has denied that the war is still going on. On May 5, 2021, more than six months after the war began, the MoP released a statement regarding Tigray Regional State. The statement included phrases such as “since the completion of the law enforcement operation”, alluding to the war being over. The war is not over and has been raging on since November 2020. The statement focuses on rebuilding while innocent lives are still being taken and people are forced to flee their homes every day. 

The genocidal war waged by Ethiopia’s federal and aligned forces against the people of Tigray is very much still on-going. Genocide is occurring under the watch of Ethiopia’s Ministry of Peace. Her job is to safeguard peace, yet peace could not be farther out of reach.

Before any peace processes can begin or even be discussed, there must be an immediate ceasefire and withdrawal of troops by all invading parties. The international community must ensure that the MoP ends the current conflict and prevents future conflict from unfolding within Ethiopia. If the MoP is unable to restrict the improper use of arms and military equipment on behalf of the federal government, the international community must step in. 

Furthermore, independent investigations must be conducted by external, credible organizations to understand the full, unbiased extent of the situation occurring in Tigray. Reparations for the victims and justice must be pursued. All actors engaging in, responsible for, or allowing these atrocities must be held accountable. 

After all conflict has ceased, then post-conflict peacebuilding can be initiated. Post-conflict peacebuilding must engage all actors to ensure equitable negotiations are made. Only then will there be any chance of sustainable peace in Ethiopia.

Omna Tigray Contributor, May 2021

Historically, war is associated with idealized masculinist rhetoric of virtue and glory among men. In contrast to this rhetoric, many Ethiopian women, particularly Tigrayan women have been key fighters in many past and present battlefields. 

In the last century, Tigrayan women have gone to the battlefield to defend their sovereignty against external invaders on several occasions. They stood against Italian invaders in defense of the Ethioipian Empire in The Battle of Adwa in 1896. Tigrayan women also fought against the military dictatorial regime of the Derg (1975- 1991).  As members of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), they played a significant role in liberating the people of Tigray and Ethiopia as a whole from a brutal and oppressive regime.
A lot has changed since the women of Tigray fought against Italians or as guerilla fighters against the Derg in the mountains of Tigray. For those not on the ground in Tigray, technology and globalization have allowed them to stand up for justice from afar.  Over 20 years after the last battle against a centralist Ethiopian government, women of Tigray located around the world find themselves yet again in another battle but this time a digital one.

A Declaration of War

Abiy Ahmed, the unelected Prime Minister of Ethiopia, waged a genocidal war against Tigray on November 4, 2020, in collaboration with Eritrea’s dictator Isaias Afwerki in an attempt to take over the region from Tigray’s elected leaders.

After declaring war on Tigray, Abiy was quick to cut off all forms of communication in Tigray so that he could cover-up the atrocities being committed to civilians. The communication blackout left Tigrayans who live abroad extremely anxious as they were  unable to reach their families in Tigray. They kept trying every means of communication they could. Their mothers’ landlines didn’t work,  their brothers’ cellphones were off, and their cousins’ WhatsApp or Facebook also failed. 

After a few days of being in collective fear and shock, the Tigrayan diaspora started calling to check on one another. With a calm, yet discouraged voice, they would ask if anyone had heard anything from their family back home.

Losing “Ethiopian” Friends and Finding New Ones in the Digital World

Blocked from reaching their families in Tigray, Tigrayans with social media accounts  started posting about their distress. They hoped that the Ethiopian community and the online world would hear their devastation and offer support. 

To their surprise, extremely few fellow Ethiopians reached out to see how they were doing. Many Tigrayans came to the  shocking realization that their Ethiopian friends could not sympathize with Tigrayans’ agony. 

Basically overnight, Tigrayans’ identity changed. Before the war, Tigrayans saw themselves as Ethiopians. After the war, however, they were forced to question their identity as their fellow Ethiopians, friends, and in some instances family, cheered on the war in Tigray. 

In trying to make sense of the situation, Tigrayans soon discovered that there had been a great amount of propaganda prior to the war that fueled hate towards Tigrayans.  It was a painful realization for most Tigrayans. The hate was so ingrained and widespread that their close Ethiopian friends could not sympathize with Tigrayans’ suffering. In essence, Tigrayans felt abandoned by a community that they thought they belonged to.

Few weeks into war, Tigrayans learned that both rape and starvation were being used as a weapon of war in Tigray.  

Desperation hit an all time high, but it was that same desperation that forced Tigrayans to seek one another out in the digital world. They started pulling away from certain crowds who never cared to recognize their pain and started creating new relationships with a focus on one and only one thing – amplifying the voices of Tigrayan people who are suffering in the dark as a result of this genocidal war. 

It was not long until many Tigrayans began to organize and work long hours to raise awareness about the genocide in Tigray. Most of the organizations that were established are women led.

Tigrayan Digital Activism 

The digital warriors of Tigray, who emerged out of necessity and an existential threat to their people,  have the same lifestyle as your average neighbor. They have to make ends meet as usual, raise their children, and participate in their typical social activities. 

But unlike your average neighbor, they must face the added burden of stopping a genocidal war waged on their families by the federal government of Ethiopia.

Despite the trauma they endure daily, they have an obligation to amplify the suffering of their families, and they must create real transformative change. They wake up with a heavy heart,wondering whether their sisters, mothers or cousins were victims of sexual violence. They wake up wondering if their family members are alive.  They rely on social media to raise their voices. They sign petitions, raise funds, educate the public through different means in an effort to raise awareness and gain allies, and organize and attend global protests. 

If COVID-19 rules don’t permit large scale demonstrations, they organize virtual or caravan protests, and small groups show up in front of the United Nations Headquarter and the White House every single day. They march the streets of Telaviv, London, and Denver, all in hopes of exposing the heinous atrocities being committed in Tigray. 

To their advantage, the internet has removed barriers of geography, allowing them to collaborate on projects and work together.

“Habogninet” Amid Crisis in Tigray

This digital community’s secret ingredient is habogninet (ha-bo-gne-net). 

Habogninet (ሓቦኝነት) is an emotion felt by every Tigrayan when under attack. It is that unexplainable responsibility to uplift the vulnerable. 

Habogninet is about being there for those who are suffering in their community. 

Habogninet is standing strong amid the crisis. 

Habogninet is being your sister’s and brother’s keeper.

Habogninet is how Tigrayans show-up for their most vulnerable.

For example when Tigaryans learned that their Irob and Kunama indiginous ethnic minorities who only makeup 1% of Tigray’s population were under full Eritrean occupation, suffering in the dark, with communication and aid blackouts, they immediately put on their digital activism hat. This self-organized community of Tigrayans, immediately planned a campaign for April 10, 2021 and drafted petitions calling on the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to protect both minorities. On the day of the Irob and Kunama campaign they tweeted like their life depended on it. They demanded protection for the ethinic minorities in Tigray who are facing starvation and genocide under Eritrean troops. They screamed on Twitter for the world to hear that the Kunama and Irob people are suffering immensely and both may be on the brink of extinction. 

On average there were 700,000 impressions per hour that day amplifying the oppressed voices of the Irobs and Kunama indginous minorities of Tigray. Those tweeting were predominantly global Tigrayans making the plight of those two minorities trend on twitter all day. Tigrayan Habogninet manifests itself in many ways and this is just one of them. 

“How a society treats its most vulnerable is always the measure of its humanity.”– Gandhi  

How Tigrayans continue to show up for their voiceless indigenous minorities of Tigray is how they continue to show up for every oppressed member of their society.

Digital Warriors Under Attack

This fight to stop the Tigray Genocide comes with a cost, especially for the  women who are at the forfront of the digital activism. Violence manifests not only on the battlefields, but also in the digital world. 

The platform where Tigrayan women face online bullying, dehumanization and trauma the most is Clubhouse.  An unexpected number of Ethiopian and Eritrean propagandists are extremely aggressive, abusive, and misogynistic towards Tigrayan women. Every single day, those women who are there to raise awareness and educate the pubic on Tigray Genocide continue to  face  aggressive men who are determined to silence them. 

There are rooms hosted by Abiy supporters titled “The war on Tigray must continue.”  Tigrayan women and men go to such triggering rooms to speak their truth about the genocide happening in Tigray. Many of those men have gone as far as justifying rape on Tigrayan women during the war. 

A Community of Tigrayan Digital Warriors

Regardless of the intimidation they may face from Abiy supporters, these Tigrayan women have continued to push the social barriers with other like minded community members. 

In response to this tragic genocidal war, many Tigrayans have forged an environment that fosters a sense of belonging, a supportive network, and a sense of transformative purpose. 

Along with other social media platforms, despite aforementioned attacks, Clubhouse has been an invaluable and cathartic space for Tigrayans to share their burdens and engage in therapeutic and galvanizing conversations.  There are a number of highly committed digital activists who create and manage those rooms and conversations.

Through social media platforms, Tigrayans have found a new community who understand their pain, and are extremly committed to raising awareness about the genocide in Tigray. 

Weyni – Omna Tigray Contributor, May 2021

The only reason lobbyists are hired by interest groups or foreign governments in the United States is because they play a key role in policy making and persuading public authorities. 

This is why the Tigrayan community and its allies are extremely concerned about the Ethiopian government spending close to 500 thousand dollars in hiring two of the most influential international law firms.^[1]Piro, G., & Beyrer, J. (2021, March 26). Lobbying firm Repping Ethiopian regime a major BIDEN BACKER. Retrieved May 05, 2021, from … Continue reading By doing so, the Ethiopian government is attempting to influence United States policy makers to support their heinous acts of genocide and war crimes in the northernmost region of Ethiopia, Tigray- a face saving strategy as undeniable evidence of war crimes and ethnic cleasing have been presented. 

It is absolutely shocking for a developing country like Ethiopia to be spending that much money on a publicity stunt and strategy when the foreign aid it receives represents 50 to 60 percent of its national budget. 

It is preposterous for a government to find the liberty and flexibility in its national budget to hire a lobbying law firm when all in while it (i) receives millions in foreign aid, (ii) is waging a genocidal war on its own region and invited foreign military presence, and (iii) based the same war on a ‘law-and-order enforcement operation’ scheme justified by the need to capture elected  members of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). 

The TPLF was one of the former 4 parties that made up the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democtraic Front (EPRDF),  who allegedly have stolen and sucked the wealth of the country.

Why is the Ethiopian government not prioritizing developmental projects using its budget or the funding from foreign aid to improve the life of its citizens? The priorities of the current government under the rule of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed are clearly not peace, reconciliation and prosperity, but rather war, abomination and bloodshed. 

Since November 4, 2020, the Tigrayan community and its allies have been protesting and advocating for the protection of basic human rights during conflict through social media and by organizing rallies in various cities. There also have been counter-protests supporting the Ethiopian government and its ‘necessary actions’ in the Tigray region.

Overwhelmed by the mixed messaging and deteriorating image of Ethiopia, the Embassy of Ethiopia in D.C decided to hire a law firm to represent the embassy and the government’s interest; i.e the continuation of the genocidal war in Tigray. The first firm the Embassy of Ethiopia hired was Venable LLP, a law firm with heavy influence in the U.S.^[3]https://freebeacon.com/national-security/lobbying-firm-repping-ethiopian-regime-a-major-biden-backer Senate and amongst Democratic constituents. Their contract was from February to April at a rate of $35,000 per month, totalling $105,000 . The current law firm representing and advocating for the Ethiopian government is Holland & Knight, which was hired by Ethiopia’s Ministry of Peace to aid with counsel and help maintain a good relationship between the U.S. and Ethiopia governments. This is a six-month contract worth $270,000.^[4]http://www.tadias.com/04/10/2021/update-ethiopia-hired-more-help-in-dc-to-lobby-u-s-government/ 

With the current unstable state of Ethiopia and the genocidal war against Tigray, which has seen crimes against humanity, war crimes and ethnic cleansing committed by the current government, we have to reconsider and reflect on how various international organizations have a part in the devastating genocide-driven war. 

The law firms representing the government of Ethiopia are indirectly responsible for the crimes committed in Tigray and have blood in their hands. They are representing a genocidal, oppressive and prejudicial government. Law firms, international profit and non-profit organizations need to understand what the Ethiopian government stands for before attempting to speak for them. If not, they will be representing a government that seeks to eradicate Tigrayans from Ethiopia and erase their existence from their native land.

Gual Inda Aba Ts’ahma – Omna Tigray Contributor, May 2021

Ethiopia’s unelected Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has made it clear that he desires to fulfill his life-long dream of becoming Ethiopia’s 7th king. This includes following Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie’s imperial governing styles and land annexation strategy. 

Ethiopia is not unfamiliar to land disputes, however, donkeys being stolen by the hundreds is unchartered territory. While this theft is almost farcical, it is an intentional part of a plan to hinder the agricultural life of Tigray, uproot farmers from their ancestral lands, and destabilize the region. Stealing livestock and burning crops are among the numerous actions taken by the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF), regional militias, and foreign invading forces to further intensify the land disputes and tension taking place during the war in Tigray. These calculated acts aim at weakening future Tigrayan generations through famine and violence. This war, still referred to by the Ethiopian federal government as a law-and-order enforcement operation, is entering its seventh month.

That is over half a year of telecommunication and media blackouts, restricted and looted humanitarian aid, extrajudicial civilian executions, weaponized rape, biological warfare, and a looming man-made famine. While the fascist Abiy Ahmed and co. claim victory in taking down Tigray’s democratically-elected regional government, the rest of the world sees that declaration as far from the truth. 

Along with inviting foreign invaders such as Eritrean and Somali forces to unleash terror on the Tigray region, Abiy Ahmed’s administration has made an attempt to legitimize land grabbing and Amhara expansionism.

One of the first actions taken by the Ethiopian forces entering Tigray was removing the Tigray regional flag from invaded areas and replacing it with the notorious plain green, yellow, and red Derg-era flag. The use of this specific flag, which has also been seen being waved at Ethiopian pro-genocide rallies around the U.S. and in other countries, is a reminder that supporters of this war have an agenda to take the country back to a unitarian, Amhara-dominated state. In fact, numerous Ethiopian diaspora community centers frequently use the Derg-era flag over the Ethiopian federal flag, which is a blatant gesture that only one specific type of person is welcome at that establishment. There have been publicly expressed sentiments by several members of the Amhara community to officially change their regional flag to the plain Derg-era green, yellow, and red flag. Thus, to those who claim this flag represents Ethiopia, being Ethiopian is synonymous with being Amhara.

In reference to the well-evidenced expansionism and land grabbing, Amhara state official Gizachew Muluneh stated, “[…land was] taken by force and now has been returned by force.” This is partly true; however, it is an incomplete history and the blame lies not with Tigray but with no other than the 20th century Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie I.

Some lands surrounding present day Tigray such as Raya and other provinces, along with western Tigrayan regions including Welkayt, were annexed from Tigray by Selassie in the 1940s. Prior to this expansionism, these were Tigrayan lands under Tigrayan governance for centuries. This is evidenced by the Tigrayan names of the cities in these areas (e.g., Mai Hanse, Tselemti, Adi Hamli). Furthermore, Tigrinya has remained the first language of the vast majority of people from the region, ethnic Tigrayans, throughout history. 

The routine of land annexation and expansionism into Tigray by Haile Selassie must first and always be acknowledged and assessed. Therefore, to say the land was taken by force is a valid statement, but contrary to Gizachew Muluneh’s claim, the party responsible for such action is not Tigray — the land was taken away from Tigray. Similar Tigrayan land annexations and border manipulation can be traced even further back in Ethiopian history to the 19th century when Emperor Menelik II ruled. Along with incorporating areas of western Tigray to Gondar, the emperor betrayed Tigrayans by negotiating the Treaty of Wichale and granting Italian colonizers the rights to Tigrayan and modern-day Eritrean land.

Now, the Amhara militia and elite are attempting to claim Tigrayan land as part of the Amhara region in the name of a law and order operation. These actions have provoked a large amount of violence during the war in Tigray, which has been especially prevalent in these land grabbing hotspots such as along the Welkayt border. Beyond Tigray, Amhara expansionism is spilling over to neighboring countries. Sudanese Water Minister Yasir Abbas describes the threat of such expansionism, “The rise of the Amhara in Ethiopia’s politics is threatening the future of relations between our nations — not countries, but nations, peoples with literally thousands of years of shared history.”

Flags are not the only indication of the ongoing land grabbing in Tigray. It is reported that Amhara militia and Ethiopian forces are instructing Tigrayans to destroy their Tigrayan IDs and replace them with Amhara IDs. These civilians are ordered to denounce their Tigrayan identity and declare themselves as Amhara. Such actions are unequivocally done to perpetrate and push Tigrayans out of their homes in an attempt to take advantage of the intentional destabilization of the region. 

According to the elected Tigrayan Regional President Dr. Debretsion Gebremichael, there will not be any call for negotiations until the Amhara militia and other invaders withdraw from the Tigray region, including falsely reclaimed areas. Not only are Tigrayans fighting to survive weaponized famine, weaponized rape, bombs, and extrajudicial killings, they are fighting to defend and uphold their identity — one that has never wavered for thousands of years. So, while invaders can steal donkeys, hand out IDs, and wave oppressive flags, they can never change the identity of an ethnic Tigrayan.

As Dr. Debretsion Gebremichael stated, “We are fighting for our identity. We are fighting for our rights. We are fighting against all invaders to the end.”

Omna Tigray Contributor, May 2021