(The statement printed below is being issued by the Progressive Alliance. It was endorsed by all member parties including the Eritrean EPDP which is one of its founding members).

COVID-19 has been and continues to be an exceptional challenge for all of us. The only way forward is a quick and well-coordinated vaccination strategy on a global level with an increase of production capacity and a distribution according to actual need, not based on the size of a country’s wallet. Vulnerable people and frontline workers shall be vaccinated first, regardless where they live in the world.

PA Global solidarity is the key to overcoming COVID 19 1

Hesitation and national self-interest will not bring an end to the global health crisis nor will it lead us out of the economic, environmental and social crisis. Instead, it will be a gross error of misjudgement from both a moral and a medical point of view. Vaccine nationalism causes severe geopolitical as well as economic and social consequences and prevents an effective fight against the virus.

Too many people have suffered attacks on their health and too many have paid the ultimate price. Each loss of life to COVID-19 is one loss too much!

With the successful development of COVID-19 vaccines, a debate has been sparked around sufficient and fair distribution of the limited doses available. While some countries have been quick to secure supplies, others, especially low and middle-income countries have no access yet. 

COVAX has been set up as the multilateral answer to this challenge. It aims to achieve global immunization and is central to a global vaccination strategy that shall secure fair and equal distribution.

However, as it stands, these tools have yet to deliver to secure substantial vaccines for the Global South facing two major challenges: a lack of funding and the limited availability of vaccines on the market.

The COVAX funding gap needs to be closed as soon as possible to roll out the ambitious global of COVAX. We must also support the vaccination plan with concrete efforts in diagnostics and therapeutics of COVID-19.

With different vaccines now developed, it is the time to step up vaccine production. Any slow-down in vaccine production is unacceptable, especially when it stems from profit maximization or vaccine-nationalism.

The solutions exist: increase of production is possible if vaccine developers cooperate voluntarily, supply available production capacities, share licenses with other manufacturers and accept to transfer the necessary technology. Countries of patent holders can also issue compulsory licenses in order to speed up production. As a consequence there shall be a binding obligation for partnerships with manufactures in developing countries in all future vaccine supply contracts.

A multilateral understanding at WTO level must avoid unnecessary administrative hurdles, to prevent stockpiling and to put the fast and fair production and distribution of vaccines before profit-making. A possible (timely limited) patent waiver has the benefit as it also provides a clear and consistent direction to patent offices and courts on how to view the grant and enforcement of intellectual property and prevent the possibility of disputes which could delay local manufacturing.

These are the steps needed to go hand-in-hand with strengthening and supporting health systems through social investment, ensuring access to healthcare and social protection systems, and access to education.

The unequal access to vaccines and COVID-19 treatment is a mirror on the inequalities between and within states that are also harming our pandemic response and our recovery.  Only when everyone has had the chance to be vaccinated and we successfully achieved immunization for a sufficient share of each population, we are truly safe. The longer the virus is around, the more chances of it mutating and thus the higher the probability vaccines need to be adapted to combat the newest varieties. Then we must acknowledge that competition for vaccines at the global level can never be part of the solution, it is part of the problem.

We progressives unite behind a global strategy to combat COVID-19. This will not be possible without solidarity between continents, countries and people. A world without COVID-19 is possible. We will continue to work together to reach this goal, not as competitors, but as partners on equal footing.

As Progressive Alliance we call for:

  • Global solidarity and global partnership against the poison of vaccine-nationalism
  • Safeguarding COVID-19-vaccines as a global public good, not a tool for profit-maximization
  • Binding obligation for partnerships and building production capacities with manufactures in developing countries in all vaccine supply contracts with manufactures by industrialized countries.
  • Increasing the production of vaccines globally through adequate measures including reassessing the TRIPS agreement to see if it is fit for purpose and investigate how technology transfer can be enabled
  • Ensuring accessibility to vaccines for all, in particular for vulnerable people, frontline workers and healthcare workers worldwide and in particular in the global South. Industrialized countries should supply the Global South with doses from their overcapacities
  • The obligation of vaccine manufacturers, laboratories and producers to sell their products to the Global South and to COVAX at the cost price only and to allow licensing at low cost
  • Reject all contractual agreements limiting exports, sharing, and donations of vaccines, which put an end to the global suffering.

Ethiopia: Joint-Statement by High-Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell, Commissioner Jutta Urpilainen and Commissioner Janez Lenarčič

Brussels, 08/02/2021 – 11:48, UNIQUE ID: 210208_5

Joint Statements

The EU remains very concerned by the tragic humanitarian crisis unfolding in Tigray and its regional implications. Three months into the conflict, despite small openings, the limitations to humanitarian access to Tigray continue to prevent the provision of humanitarian assistance to address the immensity of needs, avert the risk of famine and prevent further loss of life. Central and Western Tigray remain largely out of reach and two Eritrean refugee camps remain completely inaccessible.

Humanitarian access needs to be guaranteed and humanitarian assistance allowed to reach all affected areas and people in Tigray, and border areas of Afar and Amhara regions, in line with the humanitarian principles of impartiality, humanity, neutrality and independence.

The EU is also increasingly concerned for the protection of civilians and refugees in Ethiopia, with reports of casualties and serious human rights, international refugee law and international humanitarian law violations. Effective protection of refugees from harm in accordance with international refugee, human rights and humanitarian law, including preventing any act of refoulement or coerced return targeting Eritrean refugees needs to be ensured.

The EU joins the United States’ call for the withdrawal of Eritrean troops from Ethiopia, which are fuelling the conflict in Tigray, reportedly committing atrocities, and exacerbating ethnic violence.

The EU expresses its support to the work of the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission and encourages it to continue its investigations on allegations of violations and abuses of human rights and violations of international law. We hope that the Government of Ethiopia will endorse its recommendations, and fully implement the independent investigations and judicial proceedings announced to ensure full accountability for violations and abuses committed. Access of international media to Tigray must be authorised and local journalists must be protected.

FEBRUARY 7, 2021  ETHIOPIANEWSTIGRAY

Reuters

This handout picture taken on July 20, 2020, and released by Adwa Pictures on July 27, 2020, shows an aerial view Grand…
FILE – This handout picture taken on July 20, 2020, and released by Adwa Pictures on July 27, 2020, shows an aerial view of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile River in Guba, northwest Ethiopia.

KHARTOUM – Any unilateral step by Ethiopia to further fill its hydropower project, called the Renaissance Dam, in July would directly threaten Sudan’s national security, Sudanese Irrigation and Water Resources Minister Yasser Abbas said Saturday.

Sudan is also proposing a mediation role for the United States, European Union, United Nations and African Union as a way of breaking the deadlock in talks about the dam between Sudan, Egypt and Ethiopia, Abbas told Reuters in an interview.

His comments come at a time of increased tension between Sudan and Ethiopia over disputed farmland near their shared border.

This is on top of tension over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), which Ethiopia is building on the Blue Nile, close to the border with Sudan.

Ethiopia began filling the reservoir behind the dam after the summer rains last year despite demands from Egypt and Sudan that it should first reach a binding agreement on the dam’s operation.

Egypt views the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam as a major threat to its fresh water supplies, more than 90% of which come from the Nile. The Blue Nile flows north into Sudan, then Egypt; it is the Nile’s main tributary.

Ethiopia says the dam is crucial to its economic development.

“The filling of the Renaissance Dam by one side next July represents a direct threat to Sudan’s national security,” Abbas said.

He said unilateral filling of the reservoir threatened electricity generation from Sudan’s Merowe Dam and Roseires Dam, as well as the safety of the Roseires Dam and of 20 million Sudanese living downstream of the GERD.

Sudanese drinking water stations could also be put at risk, he added.

The African Union has convened recent negotiations over the GERD between Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt but talks have repeatedly stalled. Talks hosted by the United States last year also failed to secure a deal.

“Sudan is now leading a diplomatic and political campaign to clarify its position and reach a legal and binding solution,” Abbas said. “We are optimistic that if there is political will, a mutually agreed solution can be reached.”

FEBRUARY 7, 2021  ETHIOPIANEWSTIGRAY

“Every day, more and more reports of starvation trickle out of the Tigray region of Ethiopia that has been hit by conflict.”

Source: BBC

By Alex de Waal
Africa analyst

IMAGE COPYRIGHTGETTY IMAGES
image captionConflict has left countless homes in Tigray as debris

Every day, more and more reports of starvation trickle out of the Tigray region of Ethiopia that has been hit by conflict.

On Wednesday, Mark Lowcock, chief of humanitarian affairs at the United Nations, warned of a deteriorating humanitarian crisis in which aid still wasn’t reaching many affected people.

Earlier in the week, his predecessor Jan Egeland, now head of the Norwegian Refugee Council, was more blunt: “In all my years as an aid worker, I have rarely seen a humanitarian response so impeded and unable to deliver in response for so long, to so many with such pressing needs.”

Mr Egeland went on to say: “The entire aid sector . . . must also recognise our failure to define the scale of the crisis.”

In other words, will the United Nations call out “famine” and if so when?

Farming in Tigray’s rocky soils has long been a precarious endeavour, made worse over the last year by a plague of locusts. At the close of the growing season in September last year, international food security assessments were that 1.6 million of Tigray’s seven million people were relying on food aid to survive.

Conflict broke out on 4 November between forces from the region’s now-ousted ruling party, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), and federal troops following sharp differences over the political make-up of the federal government.

IMAGE COPYRIGHTGETTY IMAGES
image captionAbout 60,000 people from Tigray are taking refuge in Sudan

The TPLF opposed the 2019 decision of Prime Minister Aibiy Ahmed to dissolve the ruling coalition, of which it was a part, leading to tensions that spiralled out of control.

The UN is now quietly admitting what others – including the United States – have been saying for weeks, which is that Eritrean troops control much of Tigray. The Ethiopian and Eritrean governments continue to deny this.

Most of Tigray has been sealed off from the world since then. Aid agencies are beginning to send their staff back in, and what they describe is disturbing: hospitals ransacked, people living in fear unable to obtain food or money, deaths from hunger and treatable illnesses.

Some Tigrayans who are able to make phone calls tell of massive looting, burning of crops, and literally millions of people beyond the reach of humanitarian aid.

IMAGE COPYRIGHTGETTY IMAGES
image captionAbout two million people have been displaced by the conflict in Tigray

In a leaked internal memo from 8 January, humanitarian staff from the UN, aid agencies and local government warned that hundreds of thousands were at risk of starving to death. They reported that they could not reach 99% of those in need – a number that aid agencies estimate is 4.5 million – more than 60% of Tigray’s population.

The Ethiopian government insists that these reports are exaggerated at best, and that it has the humanitarian crisis under control. It says that only 2.5 million people are in need and says it can reach almost all of them.

Ethiopia’s history of famine denial

It asks the European Union – its biggest donor – not to be distracted by the “transient challenge” of emergency aid to Tigray, and to continue its generous development aid to the country.

However, there is a history of Ethiopian governments hiding their famines.

In 1973, Jonathan Dimbleby’s film The Unknown Famine exposed mass starvation, hidden from the world by Emperor Haile Selassie. About 200,000 people died in the famine.

The emperor’s callous indifference brought Ethiopians on to the streets to protest and he was overthrown the next year.

IMAGE COPYRIGHTGETTY IMAGES
image captionEmperor Haile Selassie was welcomed by Queen Elizabeth II of England in 1954

In 1984, Tigray and the next-door province of Wollo were the epicentre of another famine, this time caused by a combination of drought and war, that led to between 600,000 and one million deaths.

The Ethiopian government at the time denied the existence of that famine until it was exposed by a BBC film crew, led by Michael Buerk and Mohamed Amin. That news report moved pop star Bob Geldof to record Do They Know Its Christmas? and provoke a global outpouring of charity.

That famine discredited the military government of Colonel Mengistu Haile Mariam at home and abroad. Ethiopians hated being seen as beggars by the rest of the world.

 

ርእሰ-ዓንቀጽ ሰዲህኤ

መሰረትን መንቀልን ቃልስና እቲ ኣብ ሃገርና ዘሎ በብግዜኡ መልክዑ እንዳቀያየረ ዝኽሰት ማሕበረ-ቁጠባውን ፖለቲካውን ክውንነት እዩ። ኣብ ሃገርና ብሰንኪ መላኺ ኣመራርሓ ጉጅለ ህግደፍ ኣብ ዝሓለፈ 30 ዓመታት ዝተራእየ  ወጽዓ ቀጻሊ ስለ ዘሎ ቃልሲና ነቲ ወጻዒ ስዒርካ  ብራህዋ ንምትካእ እዩ። ነቲ ንቃለሰሉ ዘለና ዓላማ  ኣብ ሸቶኡ ንምብጻሕ ከኣ እቲ ወሳኒ እቲ ኣብ ኢድና ዘሎ ኤርትራዊ ዓቕምን ሓላፍነትን እዩ። እዚ ከበሃል እንከሎ ግና ኩነታት ሃገርና ብከባብያዊ ምዕባለ ኣይጽሎን ናይ ከባቢና ዓቕምን ጽልዋን ከኣ ኣብ ርእስቲ ናትና ግደ የብሉን ማለት ኣይኮነን።

ኣብዚ እዋን’ዚ ህዝቢ ኤርትራ፡ ኣብ ርእሲቲ  ከቢድ መገላበጢ ዘየብሉ  ወጽዓ ህግዲፍ፡ ብሰንኪ እቲ ጉጅለ ኣብ ኮረና ቫይረስ ዘለዎ ግጉይ ኣተሓሕዛ’ውን ንከቢድ ሽግር ተቓሊዑ ኢዩ። ኮረናቫይረስ ዘስዓቦ እሞ እቲ ጉጅለ ብዘይሓላፍነታዊ ኣተሓሕዛ ዘጋደዶ ዕጽዋን ሳዕቤናቱን፡ ምስቲ ህግዲፍ ዝዋሰኣሉ ዘሎ ዘይምርግጋእ ተወሲኽዎ ኣብ ከባቢና ዘሎ ኩለ-መዳያዊ ወጥሪ ንጉዳይ ህዝብና ክሳብ ክንደይ ኣብ ኣዝዩ ዝሓመቐ ደረጃ በጺሑ ከም ዘሎ ንዕዘቦ ዘለና እዩ። ነዚ ንህዝብና ዘንጸላልዎ ዘሎ ዓቕሊ ዘጽብብ ቅልውላው ንምብዳህ እምበኣር ቃልስና ካብቲ ዝጸንሖ ክዛይድ ከም ዝግበኦ ክንዝንግዕ ኣይግበኣናን። ነዚ ክንበቅዕ ከኣ ዝተበተነ ዓቕምናን ዘይተጠርነፈ ኣተሓሳስባናን ከነከኣእል ክንበቅዕ ምርጫ ዘይኮነስ ግደታ ምዃኑ ክንቅበል ናይ ግድን እዩ።

እቲ ካብ ቅድሙ እውን ዘየቅስን ብድኽነት፡ ብሕማምን ካልእ ማሕበራዊ ጸገማት ዝተሃስየ ሃገርና እትርከበሉ ከባቢ ቀይሕ ባሕርን ምብራቕ ኣፍሪቃን እነሆ ሎሚ ከኣ ብበብዓይነቱ ፖለቲካዊ ምስሕሓብን ጐንጽታትን ይሕቆን ኣሎ። ኣብ መንጎ፡ ኬንያን ሶማልያን፡ ኢትዮጵያን ኬንያን፡ ኢትዮጵያ ሱዳን ግብጺ፡ ኢትዮጵያን ሱዳንን ዘሎ ኩነታት ወጥሪ ዘመልክት እዩ። ብዘይካዚ ዳርጋ ኩለን ክበሃል ብዝከኣል ሃገራት ከባቢና ኣብ ወውሽጠን ብዓሌት፡ ብሃይማኖትን ካልእ ድሑር ዝንባለታትን ብዝተላዕሉ ወጥርታት ዝሕቆና ዘለዋ እየን። ኣብ ኢትዮጵያ ኣብ መተከል፡ ደቡብ ጉራፈርዳ፡ ኣብ ዓፋርን ዒሳን መመሊሱ ዝግንፍል ዘሎ ጐንጽታት ናይዚ ኣብነት እዩ።  ብዓብይኡ ከኣ እቲ ብሓደ ወገን ኢትዮጵያ፡ ኤርትራን ሶማልን ብኣንጻሩ ከኣ ትግራይ ዝተሰለፍሉ ደማዊ ውግእ ካብ ዝጅምር ሰለስተ ኣዋርሕ ኣሕሊፉ ይቕጽል ከኣ ኣሎ። ክሳብ ሕጂ ሰፍ ዘይብል ጉድኣት ኣስዒቡ ክነሱ፡  ሕጂ እውን ኣንፈቱ ኣየነጸረን። ኣብዚ ውግእዚ ናይ ዝሞቱ ወተሃደራት ኤርትራን ዝዓነወ ንብረት፡ ኣብ ልዕሊ ኣብ ትግራይ ዝነበሩ ኤርትራውያን ስደተኛታት ዝሰዓበ በደልን ክንጽብጽብ እንከለና እቲ ኩነታት  ታራ ናይ ጐረቤት ጉዳይ እዩ ኢልና እንሓልፎ ኣይኮነን። እቲ ብዝተፈላለዩ ወገናት ኣብ ማእከል ኣቲኻ እቲ ጉዳይ ካብ ዓውዲ ውግእ ናብ ክቢ ጠረጴዛ ክመጽእ ዝግበር ዘሎ ጻዕሪ እንተዘይተዓዊቱ ከኣ  እቲ ኣብ ልዕሊ ኤርትራውያን ስደተኛታት ዝወርድ ጥፍኣት  መሊሱ ከም ዝኸፍእ ምግማቱ ዘጸግም ኣይኮነን።

እዚ ውግእዚ ንዓና ኣብ ጥቓኡ ዘለና ጥራይ ዘይኮነ፡ ኣብ ከም ኢጋድ፡ ሕብረት ኣፍሪቃ፡ ሕብረት ኤውሮጳ፡ ዓረብ ሊግ፡ ቤት ምኽሪ ጸጥታ ሕቡራት ሃገራትን ኣብ ዓበይቲ ጸለውቲ ሃገራት እውን እዋናዊ ኣጀንዳ ኮይኑ ዘሎ እዩ። ብዙሓት ዓለምለኻዊ ሰብኣዊ ትካላትን ለገስትን እውን  ብሰንክቲ ውግእ ኣብ ትግራይ ዝወርድ ዘሎ፡ ስእነት መግቢ፡ መድሃኒት፡ ማይን መራኸብታትን ወሲኽካ ዘጋጥም ዘሎ ማሕበራዊ ቅልውላውን ቅትለትን ኣሻቒልወን መፍትሒ ክረኽባ ላዕልን ታሕትን ይብላ ኣለዋ። ካብዚ ሓሊፉ ኣብ ውሽጣዊ ጉዳይ ናይዘን ኣብዚ ውግእ ዝሳተፋ ዘለዋ ሃገራት እውን ፖለቲካዊ ቅልውላው ይንህር ኣሎ። ኣብ መንጐ ኢትዮጵያውን ምሁራት ብሰንኪ ናይ ኤርትራ ኢድ ኣእታውነት ኣብ ውግእ ትግራይ ዝፍጠር ዘሎ ምስሕሓብን ኣብ ሶማል ሞቃድሾ ብሰንኪ ደቆም ብሕቡእ ኣብ ውግእ ትግራይ ምስታፎም ተላዒሉ ዘሎ ናዕብን ከም ኣብነት ዝጥቀስ እዩ። ህዝብን ሰራዊት ኤርትራ እውን ”ስለምንታይ ኣብ ጉዳይ ኢትዮጵያ ንኣቱ ኣለና?” ክብሉ ትጽቢት ናይ ብዙሓት ነይሩ። እንተኾነ ነዚ ዝምጥን ዝስማዕ ድምጺ ክሳብ ሕጂ የለን። እዚ ዝተፈላለየ  ምኽያታት ዝወሃቦ ዘሎ ስቕታ ዘመሓላልፎ መልእኽቲ ከኣ ረዚን እዩ። በቲ ይኹን በዚ ግና ህዝብና ደምጹ ዘየስመዐ ንተግባር ጉጅለ ህግደፍ ስለ ዝደገፎ ከምዘይኮነ ርዱእ እዩ።

እዚ ውግእ ኣይኮነንዶ ኣብዚ ርግኣት ዘይተዓደለ  ከባቢና ኣብ ርሑቕ እውን ክሳብ ሕጂ ዘይጸንሐ ናይ ሓይልታት ኣሰላልፋ ከስዕብ ይኽእል’ዩ ዝብል ናይ ብዙሓት ግምት ኣሎ። ንኣብነት ናይ ብዙሓት ሃገራት ወሽመጥ ምስቲ ኢትዮጵያ እትሃንጾ ዘላ ዓብይ ናይ ኣግእዞ ዲጋ እንዳተጐዛጐዛ በብግዜኡ ዝቀያየር መርገጻተን ናበይ ከም ዝወስደን ፍሉጥ ኣይኮነን። ስለዚ ኤርትራውያን እውን መጻኢና ብመንጽርዚ ናይ ከባብያዊ ምዕባለ እንታይ ከም ዝኸውን ብዓንተቦ ክንሓስበሉ ዘለና ዘይስገር ጉዳይ እዩ። ጉጅለ ህግደፍ እንተ ንጥፍኣቱ እንተ ንልምዓቱ ኣሰላልፍኡ ኣነጺሩ እዩ። እቲ ምርጫኡ ከምቲ ዝተጸበዮ ስለ ዘይኮነሉ የውጠጢ ከም ዘሎ ከኣ ንዕዘቦ ኣለና። እቲ  ወሲድዎ ዘሎ ምርጫ ናቱ ጸቢብ ህርፋን ዘርዊ እምበር ኣብ ኤርትራዊ ሓልዮት ዝተሰረተን ኣርሒቑ ዝርእን ከም ዘይኮነ ብሩህ እዩ። ስለዚ ሓይልታት ለውጢ ኤርትራ ከምቲ “ምርጫ ህግደፍ ምርጫ ህዝብና ኣይኮነን” ኢልና ዝሓሸ ከነምጽእ ንቃለሶ ዘለና፡ ኣብዚ ክፍጠር ዝኽእል ኣሰላልፋ እውን ሃገርና ንምድሓንን ረብሓ ህዝባ ንምዕቃብን እንታይ ክንገብር ከም ዝግበኣና ክንሓስብ ንጽባሕ ዝበሃል ኣይኮነን። ኣብዚ ዘለናሉ ናይ ወጥርን ሻቕሎትን መድረኽ ካብቲ ናይ ክሳብ ሕጂ ዝያዳ ክንሓስብ፡ ክንጭነቕን ክንቀራረብን ናይ ግድን እዩ። እንተ ዘይሓቢርና ግና ኣይኮነንዶ ነቲ ክመጽእ ዝኽእል ዝኸበደ መድረኽ ነቲ ክሳብ ሕጂ ዘሎ ኩነታት እውን ኣይክንበቕዖን ኢና።

Saturday, 06 February 2021 22:22

Radio Dimtsi Harnnet Sweden 06.02.2021

Written by

FEBRUARY 6, 2021  ETHIOPIANEWSTIGRAY

“The World Bank has stepped in to fill the gap” in the past, said Mark Bohlund, a senior credit research analyst at REDD Intelligence. That’s “become more politically challenging in the wake of alleged human-rights abuses committed during the war in Tigray,” he said.

Source: Bloomberg

February 5, 2021, 5:34 AM EST

The nation’s request to restructure its external debt under a Group-of-20 program highlights how much circumstances have changed for the country and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in just over a year.

In 2019, Abiy won the Nobel Peace Prize for ending two decades of conflict with Eritrea. After coming to power in 2018, he was hailed for pledging to open up the economy and create more space for democratic expression.

General Economy In Addis Ababa
Banner besides a block of new residential buildings in Addis Ababa.

The coronavirus outbreak and a war with the rebellious Tigray region, have stifled that. Little progress has been made on privatization, and civilian casualties and displacement in Tigray has seen the leader of one of Africa’s fastest growing economies condemned internationally.

Now the country is worried about meeting its debt obligations and its announcement that it’s discussing liabilities with official lenders has sparked panic among private creditors. The country’s Eurobonds plunged the most on record last week.

“The World Bank has stepped in to fill the gap” in the past, said Mark Bohlund, a senior credit research analyst at REDD Intelligence. That’s “become more politically challenging in the wake of alleged human-rights abuses committed during the war in Tigray,” he said.

For now, there isn’t an immediate way out for Abiy.

The coronavirus has slashed demand for the country’s horticulture and textile exports and tourism has ground to a halt.

The war, which threatens to drag on in the form of guerrilla resistance, hasn’t helped.

FEBRUARY 6, 2021  ETHIOPIANEWSTIGRAY

Source: US State Department

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and emphasized the importance of the U.S.-Ethiopia bilateral relationship.  Secretary Blinken expressed our grave concern about the humanitarian crisis in the Tigray region and urged immediate, full, and unhindered humanitarian access to prevent further loss of life.  The Secretary also reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to Ethiopia’s reform agenda and our support for upcoming national elections, regional peace and security, democracy and human rights, justice and accountability, and economic prosperity for all Ethiopians.

FEBRUARY 5, 2021  ETHIOPIANEWSTIGRAY

5 February 2021

Ethiopian and Eritrean officials have repeatedly denied that Eritrean forces are operating in Tigray. However, these denials are contradicted by eyewitness accounts. So conspicuous are the Eritrean military in Tigray that Eritrean soldiers have even attended meetings in which humanitarian workers negotiated access to Tigray with Ethiopian authorities. 

Human Rights Concern-Eritrea (HRCE) has been consistently reporting that many thousands of troops from the Eritrean mechanised divisions, infantry, and a commando unit have been participating in the Tigray war since November 2020.

Eritrean forces have been accused of committing crimes in Tigray.  Laetitia Bader, the Horn of Africa Director at Human Rights Watch said, “We are investigating credible reports of a whole range of abuses by the Eritrean forces in central Tigray, including extrajudicial executions of civilians, widespread looting and damage of public and private property, including hospitals.” She also called for “immediate international scrutiny, and a U.N. led investigation”.  Josep Borrell, the EU foreign affairs chief, also said, “We receive consistent reports of ethnic-targeted violence, killings, looting, rapes, forceful return of refugees and possible war crimes.”

The Treatment of Eritrean refugees in the camps in Tigray by Eritrean military has already been fully reported by HRCE.  Eritrean soldiers have committed many crimes in at least two of the camps, including the deliberate murders in Shimelba refugee camp of four unarmed refugees in one instance and eight unarmed civilians in another. There is evidence of the forced removal of thousands of Eritrean refugees at gunpoint from Shimelba and Hitsats camps, with horrific forced marches for days on end to Sheraro. There the refugees were forcibly loaded into trucks which took them, against their will, back to the very country they had fled. This behaviour by the Eritrean military is directly in contravention of all international codes and legal requirements on the treatment of refugees, which in particular forbid the refoulement of refugees to their country of origin.  It is understood that both Shimelba and Hitsats refugee camps have been deliberately burned to the ground, thereby destroying the only homes the refugees had, along with all their belongings.

It should be noted that the unelected leader of Eritrea, Isaias Afwerki, and the permanent officers and commanders in charge of the Eritrean military forces are primarily responsible for these atrocities. The great majority of the ranks are conscripts forced into the armed forces largely against their wills and drafted in large numbers to Tigray to be used as “expendable” troops. They are largely untrained and unable to disobey orders, on pain of death or torture. Witnesses report large numbers of these conscripted soldiers (male and female) are under the age of 20. It is reported that many have died in the fighting. These young conscripts are as much the victims of crimes and injustice as the Tigrayans and the refugees.

The Eritrean military is using the communications blackout to commit war crimes and crimes against humanity against defenceless Tigrayan civilians and Eritrean refugees, killing and executing with impunity. HRCE condemns the alleged widespread looting, sexual violence, killing of civilians, destruction of property, crops and factories in Tigray by the Eritrean military forces, and objects most vehemently to the military’s deportation of tens of thousands of refugees at gunpoint against their will to the very country they fled from in danger of their lives.

HRCE calls on the Ethiopian and Eritrean governments to heed the call from the US State Department and ensure that all Eritrean military forces leave Tigray at once.  

HRCE requests an independent investigation into events in Tigray since November 2020. 

HRCE calls on the government of Ethiopia to ensure full protection for the Mai Aini and Adi-Harush refugee camps, and to guarantee that no Eritrean military personnel are allowed to enter them. 

The UN Commission of Inquiry into Human Rights in Eritrea has already found evidence of crimes against humanity committed by the Eritrean authorities within Eritrea since 1991. Major crimes against humanity are now being committed by Eritrean forces in Tigray.  

HRCE calls on the International Criminal Court to initiate investigations into these heinous crimes immediately. Justice requires that the governing regime in Eritrea, and President Afewerki in particular, face the consequences for the crimes that have been unleashed in Eritrea and Tigray.   

HRCE calls upon all members of the United Nations to note the demand by the USA and to make urgent representations to the governments of Ethiopia and Eritrea to put an end to the “major violations of international law” being committed in Tigray by the Ethiopian Federal forces, Eritrean military and allied militias. It is a matter of life and death.  

Member countries of the United Nations must speak out now against these crimes before many more thousands of civilians are killed and more Eritrean refugees are forcibly deported. 

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Human Rights Concern – Eritrea (HRCE)

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

+44 (0) 7958 005 637

www.hrc-eritrea.org

ክቡር ሓው ግርማይ የማነ፡ ቅድሚ ኩሉ ሰላምታና ይብጻሕካ፡ ርእሰ-ዓንቀጽና ስለ ዘንበብካ ከኣ ነመስግነካ። እቲ “ጣልቃ ህግደፍን ሳዕቤናቱን” ንዘርእስቱ እውናዊ ርእሰ-ዓንቀጽ ሰዲህኤ መሰረት ጌርካ ዝጸሓፍካዮ ብዙሕ ምስኡ ዘይዛመድን ብቐጥታ ንሰልፍና ዘይምልከት ዝተወሰኾን ስለ ዝኾነ፡ ንነፍሲ ወከፍ ምሉእ ሓሳብ ዘይኮነ ኣብ ዝተወሰኑ ኣድላይ ዝበልናዮም ነጥብታት ጥራይ መብርሂ ክንህብ ኢና። ንእሽቶይ ዝበሃል መእረምታ ስለ ዘየለ ከኣ እቲ ጽሑፍ ናይ “ጉጅለ ሰዲህኤ” ዘይኮነ ብቤት ጽሕፈት ዜና ሰዲህኤ ዝተሰናድአ “ርእሰ-ዓንቀጽ ሰዲህኤ” እዩ። ቅድሚ ናብ ካልእ ምስጋርና ብቅንዕና ሓቀኛ መዛናይ ክትከውን ድልዊ እንተደኣኮንካ ግዜ ወሲድካ ነቲ ኣብ መርበብ ሓበሬታ  harnnet.org ክትረኽቦ እትኽእል ፖለቲካዊ መደብ ዕዮና እንተተወኪስካዮ ክሕግዘካ ይኽእል እዩ።

ሰዲህኤ ካብ ኤርትራ ወጻኢ ኣብ ኩሉ ኩርነዓት ዓለም ውዳበታት ዘለዎ፡ ብኣካልኳ ኣብ ኤርትራ ብቃልዕ እንተዘየለ ብኣተሓሳስባ ግና ባህጊ ህዝቢ ኤርትራ ዘንጸባርቕን ንሓድነት መሬትን ህዝብን  ኤርትራ ዝቃለስን ሰልፊ እዩ። ኣብ ኤርትራ ዘይምህላውና ምኽንያቱ ከምዘይትስሕቶ ርግጸኛታት’ኳ እንተኾና ኣብ ሃገርና ሓሳብካ ናይ ምግላጽን ምውዳብን ብዙሕነት ዘይጸውርን ብቅዋምን ግዝኣተ-ሕግን ዘይምራሕን ብሓደ ጉጀለ ዝተገበተ ባይታ ስለ ዘሎ ጥራይ እዩ። ንዕላማ ቃልስና ብዝምልከት .... ምልካዊ ስርዓትን ንሱ ዘተኣታተዎ ኣዕናዊ ሳዕቤናትን ኣልጊስካ ኣብ እትምስረት ደሞክራስያዊት ኤርትራ ልዕልና ሕጊ ዝሰፈና ንመሰልን ክብርታትን ኩሎም ዜጋታታ ብማዕረ ንምርግጋጽ ምንጪ ስልጣን ናይቲ ዝቐውም መንግስቲ፡ ህዝቢ ምዃኑ ይኣምን። ኣብ ቅድሚ ህዝቢ ተሓታቲ ዝዀነ፡ ኣብዝሓ ሰልፍታታን ሰላማዊ  ውድድርን ዘፍቅድ፣ ንመሰረታዊ ሰብኣውን ዲሞክራስያውን መሰላት ዜጋታት ዘኽብርን ዝጣበቕን፤ ስርዓተ-መንግስቲ ብምርጫ ህዝቢ ክውሰን ከም ዘለዎ ይኣምን።” ዝብል ርኢቶን ንዘለዎ መደብ ዕዮና እንተ ኣንቢብካ መወከሲ ሓሳብ ክትረክብ ኢኻ።

ከምቲ እጽበዮ ዝበልካዮ፥  ኤርትራ ከምዚ ዘላቶ ምቕጻላ ዘይኮነስ ብዙሓት ሰልፍታትን ውድባት  ዝወዳደራላ ሃገር ከም እትኸውን ዝጠቐስካዮ “ኣነስ ዘይከምዚኣ እየ ደልየ፡ ዘይከምዚኣየ” ዘብል እዩ እሞ “ኣፍካ መዓር ይምላእ።”  ዘይ ሰልፊ ዲሞክራሲ ህዝቢ ኤርትራስ ምእንታኡ እዩ ዝቃለስ ዘሎ። ኣብቲ ውድድር ዝሳተፋ ሰልፍታትን ውድባትን ዝቕየዳሉ ሕግን ስርዓትን ምህላው እውን ዝፈላልየና ኣይመስለናን። እቲ መቐየዲ ሕግን ስርዓትን ግና ሓደ ከም ህግደፍ ዝኣመሰለ ኤርትራዊ  ጉጅለ ንበሎ ሰልፊ ወይ ውድብ፡ ዓንተር ኣባጓይላ ኮይኑ “ንስኻ በዚ እቶ በዚ’ባ ውጻእ” ዝብለሉ ከም ዘይከውን ነስተውዕል። እቲ ምስ ሃገርካ ዝጐበጠ ምስላፍ ዝበልካዮ  ብሩህኳ እንተዘይኮነ ነቲ ማእከል ጌርካ ርኢቶ ዝሃብካሉ ሰዲህኤ ከም ዘይምልከቶ ግና ከነነጽረልካ ንፈቱ። ምናልባት ንኹሉ ህዝባዊ ግንባር ንዲሞክራስን ፍትሕን ዘዝመተረሉ እሺ ኢሉ ዘይኮለሰ ኢልካ ትኸስስ እንተሊኻ ግና  ጌጋ እዩ። ሰዲህኤ ንኤርትራን ህዝባን ኣየኽብሮምን እዩ ዝብል ስግኣት እንተልዩካ እውን ቅኑዕ ሚዛን ኣይኮነን። ንህዝብን መንግስትን ፈላሊኻ ኣብ ክንዲ ምርኣይ፡ ነቲ ጉጅለ ክትረክብ ኢልካ፡ ክብሪ ሃገርካን ረብሓ ህዝብኻን ኣሕሊፍካ ዘይምሃብ ዝበልካዮ ሰዲህኤ ኣጥቢቑ ካብ ዝጥንቀቐሎም ጉዳያት ሓደ እዩ። ንህግደፍ ካብ ወቐሳን ተቓውሞን ምእንቲ ከተድሕኖ ምስ ህዝቢ ኤርትራ ኣልጊብካ ምርኣዩ ከኣ ፈጺሙ ግጉይ እዩ። ኮታ ንህዝቢ ከተኽብር ክትብል ነቲ ህዝቢ ዝብድልን ዝገዝእን ዘሎ ጨፍላቒ ጉጅለ ምጽብባቕ ከኣ ተቐባልነት የብሉን።

ግቡእን መሰልን ዜጋታት ፈላሊኻ ብዛዕባ ዘይምርኣይ ዝበልካዮ ሕራይ ቅኑዕ’ዩ። ካብዚ ነቒልካ፡ ነቲ ብኢደወነኑ፡ ሕድሪ ህዝቢ ጠሊሙ፡ ብዘይምርጫ ኣብ ስልጣን ዝተኾደጨ ህግደፍ ዘውጸኦ ኣዋጅ ርዒምካ 2% ምኽፋልን ዘይኽፋልን ከም ዜጋ ክትረኽቦ ዝግበኣካ መሰል ዘኽልእ ጌርካ ትወስዶ እንተሊኻ ግና ፈጺሙ ግጉይ እዩ። ምኽንያቱ ዜጋታት ሃገሮም ከልምዑ፡ ቅድም ቀዳድም ኣብ ሃገሮም ኰለ-መዳያዊ መሰሎም፡ እንተላይ ናይ እምነት፡ ምዝራብ፡ ምውዳብን ሓሳብካ ምግላጽን ናጻ መሰሎም ክረጋገጽ ናይ ግድን እዩ። ደሓር ህግደፍ ጉባአ ካብ ዝገብር 27 ዓመታት ዝሓለፎን ትካላቱ ለሚሱ ኣብ ኢድ ሓደ ሰብኣይ ዝወደቐን “ውድብ እዩ። ናይ ኣባላቱ ወርሓዊ ድዩ ዓመታዊ ውጽኢት ኣባልነት እሞ ከኣ ሕጊ ብዝፈቕዶ ከኽፍል ይኽእል። ካብዚ ሓሊፉ፡ ን2% ምስ ዜግነታዊ መሰል ምርካብን ዘይምርካብን ከተዛምዶ  ፈጺሙ ግጉይን እንቃወሞን እዩ። ኣብዚ እዋንዚ እቲ ኣባል ህግዲፍ እየ ዝብውን ብዛዕባዚ እንተዝሕተት፡ መብዛሕትኡ “ገዲፈዮ ኣለኹ” ከም ዝብል ርግጸኛታት ኢና።

ሕገ መንግስቲ ኣብ መንጐ መንግስትን ህዝብን ናይ ሓቢርካ ምንባር ውዕል መሰረታዊ ሰነድ እዩ። ኩሉ ሕግታትን ነቲ ሕግታት ዘተግብራ ትካላት ከኣ በዚ እየን ዝቕረጻ። ብኩራት ናይዚ ሕገ-መንግስቲ ከኣ መሰረት ናይቲ ዝምድና መንግስትን ህዝብን ዝቕየደሉ ልዕልና ሕጊ ዝድምሰሰሉ እምበር ንምስምስ ኢልካ ዝጥቀስ ንኡስ ጉዳይ ኣይኮነን። ምስ ኢትዮጵያ ዝተገብረ ስምምዕ ከኣ ዘይትካላዊ፡ ዘይግሉጽን ኤርትራ እንትረብሖ ዘየነጸረን እዩ፡ ኢልና ኢና እንነቕፎን ንቃወሞን እምበር፡ እቲ ካብ ጐረቤት ምንጻል ዘምጸኦ ኣሉታዊ ሳዕቤንስ ቅድሚ ወዛሕዛሕ ኣቶ  ኢሳያስ ኣፈወርቂ ምስ ዶ/ር ኣብይ ኣሕመድ ጀሚርና፣  ንህዝቢ ብዘርብሕ ኣገባባ ክዕወት ዘእወናሉን ህያው ክኸውን ዝተቓለስናሉን ኢና።

ምስ ጐረባብቲ ሃገራት ዘሰሓሕብ ጉዳይ ዶብ ክለዓል እንከሎ ስቕ ኢልና ንርኣዮ ዝብል እምነት የብልናን። እንተኾነ ቅድሚ ዘሊልካ ናብ ውግእ ምእታው ፖለቲካውን ሕጋውን መስርሕ ክቕድም ኣለዎ ኢና እንብል። ደሓር ብግብሪ ዝረኣናዮ ከኣ እቲ ምስ የመን ኮነ ምስ ኢትዮጵያ ዝተኻየደ ኣብ መወዳእታ ብውግእ ዘይኮነ ኣብ ኣህጉራዊ መጋባእያ እዩ ተዛዚሙ። ብዘይውግእ ናብዚ ዝተዛዘመሉ ኣገባብ ምብጻሕ ይከኣል ከም ዝነበረ ከኣ ንኣምን። ኣብቲ ዝተኻየደ ውግኣት ምስ ጐረባብቲ  ኤርትራ  ጻሕታሪት ከምዝነበረት ብመንጐኛታት ተረጋጊጹን ካሕሳ ክትከፍል ከም ዝተበየና ዝሕባእ ኣይኮነን። ደሓር ከምቲ “ባዕላ መምጽኢት ደርፊ፣ ባዕላ መጥፊእት ደርፊ” ዝበሃል፡ ቅድሚ ወያነ ወያነ ምባል ብመሰረቱኸ ንባድመ መን ድዩ ንወያነ ኣረኪብዋ ኢልካ ምግንዛብ እውን ኣድላይ እዩ።

ከምቲ ኣቐዲሙ ዝተገልጸ፡ ናይ ሰዲህኤ ኣብ ኢትዮጵያን ካልኦት ሃገራትን ምህላው ኣብ ኤርትራ ካብ ናይ ህግደፍ ዝተፈልየ ኣተሓሳስባ ዝጸውር ባይታ ስለ ዘየለ እዩ። ኣብ ኢትዮጵያ ኮነ ኣብ ካልእ ሃገር ኮይንካ ክትቃለስ እንከለኻ ዝራኸበካ መንግስታዊ ኣካል ከም ዝህሉ ፍሉጥ እዩ። ሰንዓ ፎረም ኣብ ኢትዮጵያ ከኣ ካብዚ ዝተፈልየ ግደ ኣይነበሮን። ንልኡላውነት ኤርትራ ዝቃወም ከኣ ኣይነበረን። “መሲልካ ንገሮ ንክመስሎ” እንድዩ ዝበሃል፡  ከምዚ በዓል ጉንበት ሸውዓተ፡ ኦነግ፡ ደምሓት፡ ኣርበኞች ግንባር ዝበሃሉ ኢትዮጵያዊ ናይ ተቓውሞ ውድባት እሞ ከኣ ንናጽነት  ኤርትራ  ዘይቕበሉ ክነሶም ኣብ ኤርትራ ኮይኖም ዝቃለስዎ ዝነበሩ ዝመሳሰል ጌርካ ዘይውሰድ እዩ።  ደሓር ተቓወምቲ ውድባት ኤርትራ ኣበይ ኮይነን ይቃለሳ ዝመርጻን ዝውስናን ባዕላተን እምበር፡ ህግደፍ ኣይኮነን ዝውስነለን። ኣብ ኢትዮጵያ ምህላው ንህግደፍ ሓላል ንካለኦት ውድባት ኤርትራ ከኣ ሓራም ዝኾነሉ ምኽንያት ከኣ ፈጺሙ የለን።  ኣበይ ንሃሉ ኣበይ፡ ኤርትራዊ ክብሪ ምሕላው ዝብል እንተኮይኑ ምስ ዝህልወና ምናልባታት ምሳኻ የሰማምዓና እዩ።

ሰዲህኤ ንሓይልታት ምክልኻል ድርብ ሃገርን ህዝብን ናይ ምክልኻል ሓላፍነት ከም ዘለዎ ደኣ ደጋጊሙ የዘኻኽሮ እምበር ከም ዘይነዋርዶስ  ነዚ ኣብቲ ንምረሓሉ  ፖለቲካዊ መደብ ዕዮና “ሓይልታት ምክልኻልን ጸጥታን፡ ንሃገራዊ ቅዋምን ልዑላውነት ሃገርን ህዝብ ን፣ ከምኡ'ውን፡ ብመሰረት ቅዋምን ሕጊ ምርጫን፡ ብህዝቢ ንዝተመርጸ መንግስቲ ዝከላኸል፡ ድርዕን ዋልታን ሃገርን ህዝብን ምዃኑ እምነት ሰዲህኤ እዩ። በዚ መሰረት ንረብሓታት ህዝቢ ኤርትራ ዝከላኸልን ዘገልግልን፡ ንብረት ህዝብን መንግስትን ዝሕሉ፣ ኣፍራዪ፡ ፖሊቲካዊ ሻርነት ዘይብሉ ሃገራዊ ሰራዊት ንምቛምን ንምምዕባሉን ብተወፋይነት ክሰርሕ እዩ”  ዝበል ሰፊሩ ኣሎ ። እዚ እምነትና ግና ኣብ ሃገራት ጣልቃ ብዘይምትእትታውን ናይ ወጻኢ ወተሃደራዊ መደበራት ኣብ ሃገርና ዘይምፍቃድን ብዝብል እዩ ዝቃነ። ካብዚ ነቒልና ሓይልታት ምክልኻል ኤርትራ  ኣብ ጉዳይ ኢትይዕጵያ ኣብ ትግራይ ይዋጋእ ምህላዉን በዓል ሕቡራት ኤምረት ኣብ መሬት ኤርትራ ወተሃደራዊ መደበራት ምኽፋተንን ዘይምድጋፍና ከም ንሓይልታት ምክልኻል ኤርትራ ምውራድን ምንእኣስን ጌርካ ዝውሰደሉ ምኽንያት የለን።

ናትና ኣቐሚጥና ደገደገ ምምዕዳው ደኣ ኣየምሕረልናን ይኸውን እምበር፡ ሓያላት ሃገራት ዘዘሊለን ዝፈጥረኦ ተጽዕኖታት ምጽብጻብ ዘጸግም ኣይኮነን። ቀያድን ናይ መወድእታን ውሳነ ዶብ ኤርትራን ኢትዮጵያን ይተግበር ዝብል ድምጺ  ዝያዳና ብንጹር እሞ ከኣ ኣብ ኩሉ መድረኻት ዘቃለሐ ኣሎ ኣይንብልን። ህግደፍ ነዚ ዛዕባዚ ከም ምቛሰዪ ዝወስዶ እምበር ብዕቱብ ክሕዞ ከም ዘይጸንሐ ክንዕዘቦ ዝጸናሕና እዩ። ንምዝኽኻርካ ዝኣክል እንተዘይኮይኑ፡ እቲ ኣቶ ኢሳያስ ኣብ ኢትዮጵያ እና ክገይሽ ከስመዖ ዝጸንሐ ናይ ግድን እንተዘይኮይኑ ምድጋሙ ዘጸግም ገልበጥበጥ ሸለል ክትብሎ እንተዘይደሊኻ  ትዝክሮ ኢኻ ዝብል እምነት ኣለና። ብዝኾነ ኣብ ጉዳይ ኣተገባብራ ውሳነ ዶብ ኤርትራን ኢትዮጵያን ኣብ ብዙሕ ኣጋጣምታት ቃልና ከነስመዓሉ ካብ ዝጸናሕና “መንግስቲ ኢትዮጵያ፡ ናጽነትን ሉኣላውነትን ኤርትራ ክረጋገጽ ኣብ ናይ 1993 ረፈረንዱም ዝወሰዶ መርገጺ፡ ብትግባረ ውሳነ ኣህጉራዊ ኮሚሽን ዶብ ክደግሞ፡ ብምስረታ ጽቡቕ ጉርብትናዊ ዝምድናን ሓድሕዳዊ ምክብባርን ኣብ መንጎ ክልቲአን ኣሓት ሃገራት ክዛዝሞን ይጽውዕ።”  ዝብል ብደረጃ ጉባአ ዝጸደቐ ሚዛና ክሕግዘካ ይኽእል እዩ ዝብል እምነት ኣለና።

እዛ “ኣብ መደምደምታ ብሓቂ ተሓለቕቲ ሃገር እንተድኣ ኮይና ኣብ እንፈላለየሉ ክንፈላለ ኣብ ክንፈላለየሉ ዘይግባእ ሃገራዊ ሉዕላውነትናን ህዝባዊ ሰራዊትናን ብሓባር ደው ክንብል ይግባእ።” እትብል ምሉእ ሓሳብካ ከም ዘላቶ ወሲድናያ ኣለና። እዚ ክንብል ከለና ግን፡ ሰራዊት ንኽብሩን ክብሪ ህዝቡን፡ ኣንጻር ምልኪ ስርዓት ኢሳያስ ከቕንዕ  ናይ ወትሩ ጽዋዒትና እዩ።