August 23, 2021
Today, Ethiopia has continued to face existential threats, with multipronged affront to its sovereignty, security and integrity.
Internally, terrorist groups, such as the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) and other Oromumma extremists, have declared an open aggression on the people of Ethiopia and the Ethiopian state.
Clandestinely, agents of these terrorist organizations, strategically embedded in major governmental and non-governmental institutions, defense and security establishments, international organizations and humanitarian agencies, are playing, with impunity, devastating roles to thwart any credible countermeasures against the terrorist attacks, genocidal violence and destruction of properties.
Externally, thanks in part to the mobilization of the massive amounts of money embezzled by the TPLF while in power, Western governments, prominent policymakers, major media outlets and international organizations are waging relentless attacks against Ethiopia and in support of the terrorist groups.
Vision Ethiopia firmly believes that the enemies of Ethiopia can be defeated only through the united resistance of its people and their time-honored resolve to fight against the aggressors with inimitable heroism, unmatched patriotism and selfless discipline, bound by a shared history, heritage and destiny.
Indubitably, these are also grave times that call for decisive, credible and genuine leadership to rally the peace-loving people of Ethiopia in unity, to sway world opinion, and to deal a lethal blow against the terrorist forces.
It is with unfathomable dismay that Vision Ethiopia witnessed the ill-conceived, abrupt, catastrophic and disastrous unilateral ceasefire the central government declared on June 28, 2021.
We continue to watch with immeasurable disbelief the apathy of the central government to take resolute measures against internal enemies that are conspicuously implanted in major institutions and are stubbornly impeding any credible measures against the terrorist groups. We share with the people of Ethiopia their deep sense of consternation and bewilderment as ignominious agents of the terrorist groups are rewarded with diplomatic and other appointments that enable them to continue even more nefarious activities while on government payroll.
We cannot help but be appalled by the transfer of the war from Tigray to the Amhara and Afar regions, thereby wreaking incalculable havoc on the economic, cultural and social wellbeing of the people of these regions. The regionalization of the war, belying the real implication of the terrorist aggression for national security, has irreparably eroded confidence in the commitment of the central government to genuinely bring the war to a successful conclusion.
Most remarkably, we find immensely perplexing the hesitancy of the ruling party, which supposedly has just garnered an overwhelming mandate from the people, to tackle head-on the root-cause of the crises, namely, the pathologically aberrant constitutionnthat nurtures inter-ethnic animosity at the expense of the protection of individual freedom.
Vision Ethiopia strongly believes that it is high time that the ruling party unambiguously and unequivocally demonstrated its ability to lead and its commitment to solve the crises with credible and visible measures, including:
- Nationalizing, rather than regionalizing, the war against the terrorist groups. For example, while the OLA has officially declared its alliance with the TPLF, and has been waging genocidal violence against Amharas and other Orthodox Christians, we have yet to see tangible measures in the Oromia region against OLA, corresponding to the campaigns that are waged in the Amhara and Afar regions.
- Purging internal enemies that are embedded in key governmental and non-governmental institutions, and draining the terrorists’ source of income by confiscating the properties, bank accounts and other assets still owned by members of the terrorist organizations. It is widely known that high-profile members of the terrorist groups still hold sensitive government positions, are appointed to important diplomatic offices or own highly lucrative financial enterprises.
- Fostering a national dialogue to address the root-cause of the current crises, namely the ethnic-based constitution that is tearing asunder the fabric of the country, and paving the way towards a fully democratic constitutional system of governance.
Vision Ethiopia salutes the brave men and women of the National Defense Forces, the regional militias and other valiant patriots, who are gallantly fighting against the evils of terrorism, despite all the odds stacked against them.
We applaud all members of the Ethiopian community in the Diaspora for their continued engagement to provide succor to their compatriots against the terrorist groups, and call upon them to urge the central government to earn their support with the execution of the above incontestable actions
Lastly, Vision Ethiopia strongly condemns the coordinated assault by external groups on the sovereignty and integrity of the country and calls upon them to immediately desist from their subversive actions aimed at the destruction and destabilization of that ancient land.
The Board of Vision Ethiopia
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Vision Ethiopia is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization incorporated in Washington, D.C. EIN 81-0729204. http://visionethiopia.org. Email: VisionEthiopia@VisionEthiopia.org