We support the operation aimed at bringing the treasonous leaders of the TPLF to justice

We support the operation aimed at bringing the treasonous leaders of the TPLF to justice

Started
December 14, 2020
Signatures: 11,816Next Goal: 15,000
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Why this petition matters

Re: An appeal by Ethiopians and friends of Ethiopia
We are relieved that the conflict in the Tigray region of Ethiopia is returning normalcy after a relatively brief but intense law-enforcement operation by the Ethiopian defence forces. On November 4, 2020, Special Forces and Militia organized by Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) launched a premeditated and unprovoked attack on garrisons of the Northern Command of the Ethiopian Defence Force (EDF) in Tigray region. After this treasonous act, Ethiopian government had no choice but to conduct an armedcall in the armyfor law enforcement operations and to normalise the situation. It is currently engaged in apprehending those responsible for initiating the violence that resulted in the displacement of tens of thousands of people and the death hundreds.
Unfortunately, many of the western media outlets and various analysts ignored this immediate cause of conflict and wilfully misrepresented the efforts of the federal government. This was accompanied by a biased petition authored by an international group of academics, who otherwise have been sharing their academic excellence with many universities in Ethiopia. It is possible that this widespread and systematic misinformation might have influenced the recent European Parliament (EP) resolution (2020/2881(RSP)) on the issue.
Therefore, we, the undersigned, have summarized a sequence of events of the last 30 years to demonstrate the human cost of the evolution of the TPLF leadership rule over Ethiopia.  from leading a brutal dictatorship into an outlaw and a fugitive. In the words of the EP, this summary will remind everyone “to acknowledge and act on the recognition that the international silence on the TPLF’s conduct […] has played a significant role in creating the conditions for this current crisis”.
1.     The TPLF ruled Ethiopia with an iron fist for over a quarter of a century under a banner of ethnic-based coalition. It invented and nurtured inter-ethnic animosity for its strategy of “divide-and-rule”. It carried out gross human rights violations including mass killings, arbitrary arrests and torture in order to intimidate political opponents and the general public.
2.     The TPLF instituted ethnocentric policies where a certain section of the society wielded undue influence in government decision-making processes. This evolved into a state-sponsored rampant corruption to levels unheard of in the history of Ethiopia, in which billions of hard-earned public money was siphoned off to party and private coffers.
3.     Years of sustained and deadly popular protests around the country forced the TPLF lose control of state power for the first time in 27 years. This momentous change ushered in a ray of hope with the new government leaders promising a transition to a democratic rule.
4.     The TPLF leadership, instead of apologizing for its crimes and opting for a peaceful dialogue, continued to conspire its way back to power. It did everything in its power to undermine, frustrate and derail the government’s plans for transition into a democratic system. The aim was to destabilize Ethiopia and make it practically ungovernable by fuelling public discontent and a lack of confidence in the ability of the government to guarantee law and order.
5.     In the face of all of this provocations, Ethiopian government remained committed to peaceful resolution of differences and tried to bring the TPLF leaders to the table through several rounds of reconciliation attempts by a group of religious leaders and elders. The TPLF rebuffed all these efforts.
6.     In September 2020, in violation of Ethiopian constitution and contempt for the authority of Ethiopian House of the Federation, the TPLF conducted a regional election in which it won all the seats. It then declared the Federal Government illegal, with no mandate to govern the country. Again, the plan seems to be to incite rebellions and disrupt law and order around the country.
7.     While the EDFs were enforcing law and order following the attack on the Northern Command, TPLF forces massacred over 700 innocent civilians in Mai-Kadra town on November 9, 2020. Investigations by Amnesty International and the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission independently confirmed the carnage in their statements issued on November 12 and 24, 2020, respectively. The victims were apparently targeted for their Amhara ethnicity and were “in no way involved in the ongoing military offensive”.
8.     Now though, thanks to the heroics of the EDF, the rebellious TPLF has fled its headquarters in Mekele and the city, which it promised to turn into a bloodbath, is under full control of the government. And the much talked about internationalization of the conflict, failed to materialize, thanks in most part to the heroic efforts of the EDF.
Contrary to the campaign of misinformation, the law-enforcement operation by Ethiopian government was neither a civil war nor an operation directed against the people of Tigray. The purpose was to fulfil its obligation and restore law and order in the region, to liberate the people of Tigray and the EDF officers from the bondage of the TPLF and, finally, to bring to justice the perpetrators of the attack on the Northern Command. The first two objectives have largely been accomplished.
The government has now started restoring public serve facilities that have been destroyed by the TPLF, mobilizing its resources to supply essential goods to the region and facilitating the work of humanitarian agencies to ensure that all humanitarian needs are addressed. The overall safety and well-being of the people of Tigray is of utmost importance to the government and the people of Ethiopia. The government and the people of Ethiopia will welcome all moral and material assistances for the rehabilitation of refugees and internally displaced people, as well as the re-construction efforts.
Once again, we want to emphasize that the TPLF, an organization which robbed, brutalized, and terrorized the Ethiopian people for more than a quarter of a century should be held accountable for its horrendous, treasonous crimes.

Initiators of this international petition (December 2020)

1. Dr Tsegaye Degineh; Ethiopian Community-Germany; mail@degineh.de
2. Dr Kontie Mussa; Ethiopian Community-Sweden; kontiem@gmail.com
3. Dr Azeb Amha; Ethiopian Community-Netherlands; a.amha@asc.leidenuniv.nl
4. Prof. Dr Asnakech Laß-Seyoum, Professor of Technical Chemistry, Berlin; mail@asnakechlass-seyoum.de
5. H. H. Prince Asfa-Wossen Asserate, PhD.; Author and Political Analyst; rasselas@t-online.de
6. Dr Ayalew Kasahun; Ethiopian Community-Netherlands, akassahun@gmail.com
7. Mr Yonatan Abbay; Ethiopian Community-Netherlands, abbpharma@gmail.com
8. Dr Kassahun Begashaw; Ethiopian Community-Netherlands, kasbeg@gmail.com
9. Mr Zelalem Tessema; Ethiopian Community-United Kingdom; zelealem97@gmail.com
10. Prof. Belachew Gebrewold; Head of Department & Studies, MCI Management Center Innsbruck; Innsbruck, Austria; belachew.gebrewold@mci.edu
11. Dr Zerihun Assefa; Ethiopian Communities in Belgium & Luxembourg; zassefa@hotmail.com
12. Mr Abera Yemaneab; Dildy Forum for Ethiopians in Europe; aberayemaneab@gmail.com
13. Mr Gaase Ahmed Nuur; Afar Community Association in Belgium; gaasnuur@hotmail.com
14. Ephrem Saul, Ethiopian Community in Antwerp Belgium; ephrem.shaul@yahoo.com
15. Dr Zeleke Eresso Goffe; Ethiopian Community-Italy; zeleke.eresso@gmail.com
16. Mr Afewerk Tefera, Chairperson of the Ethiopian Forum for Dialogue and Cooperation in Germany; tefera1936@yahoo.de
17. Dr Lemma Y. Betru M.A., Political and Law Scientist; lybetru@t-online.de
18. Dr Getie Gelaye, Germany; ggelaye@gmail.com

 

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Signatures: 11,816Next Goal: 15,000
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