It is clear that Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed refuses to learn from past strategic mistakes.
The two year war between the TPLF on the one hand, Afar and Amhara Special Forces, Fano, Eritrea and Ethiopia Defense forces on the other lasted almost two years. More than one million people perished. The Ethiopian Minister of Finance raised the economic loss to $28 billion and asked the international community to support the reconstruction effort by availing $20 billion to Ethiopia.
I find this request laughable. immoral and unethical. Because no one has been held accountable for the catastrophe.
Instead, Abiy Ahmed, commander in chief of the armed forces and Field Marshall Berhanu Jula, Chief of Staff decided to wage another catastrophic war, this time targeting Amhara.
Little by little, the international community, corporate media such as Al-Jazeera and human rights organizations such as Amnesty international have started demanding that an independent investigation of human atrocities in the Amhara region must take place. I support the call.
The state of emergency proclamation approved by the ruling party controlled parliament gave Abiy’s army license to kill, arrest and destroy the Amhara regional economy. Thousands have been arrested and hundreds have been killed by Abiy’s army.
So, the international community. including multilaterals must assess the implications of the current war before they avail more funds.
You cannot reconstruct anything while you are at the same time conducting a war of terror and destruction. Leaders of the Ethiopian state and government no longer command the moral authority to do what is right for the Ethiopian people while conducting a state of siege.
I once again urge Abiy’s military to stop the atrocities; withdraw the military from the Amhara region and agree to direct negotiations with Amhara combatants including Fano as soon as possible.
The below video in English is a must listen.
Aklog Birara. PhD