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Sunday, 22 November 2020 22:53

ሰላማዊ ሰልፊ ኣብ ከተማ ፍራንክፎርት

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ሰላማዊ ሰልፊ ኣብ ከተማ ፍራንክፎርት

ብዕለት 21 ሕዳር 2020 ኣብ ከተማ ፍራንክፎርት ብኣማእት ዝቑጸር ህዝቢ ዝተሳተፎ ሰላማዊ ሰልፊ ተኻይዱ። ዕላማ ናይቲ ሰላማዊ ሰልፊ ነቲ ብሻርነታዊ ዝርያ መንግስቲ ኢትዮጵያን ውልቀ መራሒ ኤርትራን ኣብ ልዕሊ ህዝቢ ትግራይ ዘካይድዎ ዘለዉ ውግእ ደው ንኽብል፡ ብሰላምን ልዝብን ንኽፍታሕ ዝጸውዐን እዩ ነይሩ።

ሰላማዊ ሰልፊ ፍራንክፎርት፣ ብኡቡንትን (Ubunt Jugendhaus)  ዩናይትድ ፎር ኤሪትርያን (United for Eritrea) ዝተባህሉ ናይ መንእሰያት ማሕበራት፣ ሽግር ሓደስቲ ስደተኛታት ኤርትራውያን ንምቅላል ዝጽዕቱን ዝሳተፉን ክኸውን ከሎ፡ ምስ ይኣክል ፍራንክፎርት ብምስናይ ዝተጸውዐን ዝተዳለወን ሰልፊ እዩ ነይሩ።

ሰላማዊ ሰልፊ ፍራንክፎርት፡ ናይቶም ሰብ ቀንዲ ጉዳይ ዝኾኑ ብዙሓት ኤርትራውያንን ኢትዮጵያውያንን ተሳትፎ ዝነበሮ፣ ኣብ ልዕሊ ህዝቢ ትግራይ ዝካየድ ዘሎ ውግእ፣ ጉዳይ ኢትዮጵያውያን ጥራሕ ኮይኑ ዝተርፍ ዘይኮነስ፣ ኣብ መላእ ቀርኒ ኣፍሪቓ ክልሕም ዝኽእል ምዃኑ ዝተገንዘቡ  ገለ ሶማላውያን፡ ሱዳናውያንን ናይጀርያውያን እውን ተሳቲፎሞ ነይሮም።

ውግእ መፍትሒ ፖለቲካዊ ሽግር ከምዘይኮነን፡ ፖለቲካዊ ፍልልይ ኣብ ጠረጴዛ ብልዝብን ብሰላምን ክፍታሕ ከምዝግባእ ዝኣምኑን ዝጸውዑን ሰልፈኛታት ምሉእ ጉዕዞ ሰልፎም ብዓውታን ብነድርን እንዳኣቃልሑ እዮም ኣብቲ ዝተወሰነሎም ቦታ ዝበጽሑ።

 ሰልፈኛታትካብ ዝሓዝዎን ዘቃልሕዎን ዝነበሩ ቀንዲ ጭርሖታት፡

  1. Stopp dem Krieg      ውግእ ደው ይበል!
  2. Nein zum Krieg
  3. Say No to war! Yes for Peace እምቢ ንውግእ! እወ ንሰላም
  4. Krieg ist keine Lösung  ውግእ መፍትሒ ሽግር ኣይኮነን!
  5. ልኡላውነት ኤርትራ ይከበር!
  6. ሰራዊት ኢትዮጵያ ካብ ኤርትራ ይውጻእ!
  7. ኣብ ልዕሊ ንጹህ ህዝቢ ዝወርድ ዘሎ ግፍዒ ንኹንን!
  8. ኣህጉራዊ ትካላትን ናይ ረዲኤት ማሕበራት ድሕነት ስደተኛታት ከረጋግጽ
  9. መሰልን ድሕነትን ስደተኛታት ይታሓሎ!
  10. ዓልየት ተኮር፡ ቅትለትን ቅዝፈትን ንኹንን!
  11. መራሕቲ ክልቲኡ ሃገራት ይውረዱ! ዝብሉ ካብቶም ብዙሓት ኣብቲ ሰልፊ ዝቃልሑ ዝነበሩ ጭርሖታት እዮም።

ሰላማዊ ሰልፊኛታት፡ ካብ ዝተወሰነሎም ቦታ ተበጊሶም  ኣብ ቀጽሪ ላዕላዋይ ምምሕዳር ከተማ ፍራንክፎርት ድሕሪ ምብጽሖም፡ ብዝተፈላለዩ ሰልፈኛታትን ኣዳለውትን ዕላማታት ሰልፍን ፖለቲካውን ማሕበራውን ኲነታት ናይቲ ውግእ ዝካየደሉ ዘሎ ክልል ትግራይን ስደተኛታት ኤርትራውያን  ዝምልከቱ መግለጺታት ብኤርትራውያንን ኢትዮጵያውያን ሓደ ናይጀርያውን ቀሪቦም።

ሰላማዊ ሰልፊ፡ ኣብዝተወሰነሉ ግዜ፡ ንተሳተፍቲ ሰልፍን ንኣኽበርቲ ስነ+ስርዓትን ሰላም ዝኮኑ ፖሊስ ጀርመን ኮነ ህዝቢ ጀርመን ብምምስጋን፣ ሰልፍና፣ ውግእ ደው ክሳብ ዝብል ክቕጽል ምዃኑ ብምርግጋጽ፡ ብሰላም ተደምዲሙ።  

ምስጋና ንኣሰናዳእቲ ሰልፊ

Sunday, 22 November 2020 19:37

Frankfurt Demonstration for peace and Dialogue

Frankfurt Demonstration for peace and Dialogue
Sunday, 22 November 2020 18:57

ጽባሕ ካብ ምጥዓስ፡ ሎሚ ምብጋስ

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ኤርትራን ህዝባን ካብ ሻቕሎትን ስኽፍታን ካብ ዘይወጹ ነዊሕ ግዜ ኮይኑ። ኣብዚ ሎሚ ኣብ ሃገርና ራህዋን ሰላምን ክመጽእ እንቃለሰሉ ዘለና መዋእል፡ ካልእ ሓድሽ መልክዕ ዝሓዘ መከራ የንጸላልዋ ምህላዉ  ከኣ ኣዝዩ ዘሕዝን እዩ። እቲ መዋጸኦ ካብዚ ሕማቕ ዘበን እምበኣር፡  ምሕዛንን ምስቁርቋርን ዘይኮነ ነቲ ኩነታት ብቃልሲ ምቕያሩ ጥራይ እዩ።

ህዝቢ ኤርትራ ብብዙሓት ናይ ቃልሲ ምዕራፋት ዝሓለፈ ሕጂ’ውን ኣብ መስርሕ ዘሎ እዩ። ኣብቲ ዝሕለፎ ምዕራፋት ቃልሲ ንሓንሳብ ኣንጻር ናይ ወጻኢ መግዛእቲ ንሓንሳብ ከኣ ኣንጻር ዘቤታውያን ወጻዕቲ ኣብ ዘካየዶ ቃልሲ ኣዝዩ ክቡር ዋጋ ከፊሉ እዩ። ዝኸፈሎ ዋጋ ግና ብላሽ ኣይተረፈን። ብኣንጻሩ ኣንጸባረቕቲ ዓወታት ኣመዝጊቡ እዩ። ቅድም ኣብ ዝተናወሐ ፖለቲካውን ብረታውን ቃልሲ ዝከኣል ዘይመስል ዝነበረ ክኢሉ፡ ናጽነት ምርግጋጹ፡ ድሕሪኡ ብረፈረንደም ልኡላዊት ሃገር ምውናኑ መርኣያ ናይቲ ዝኸፈሎ ዋጋ ውጽኢታዊ ምንባሩ እዩ። እዚ ዓወታት ኣብ ምርግጋጽ ናጻነትን ምውሓስ ልኡላውነትን ግና፡ ናብቲ ቀጻሊ ምዕራፍ ቃልስን ዘይተርፍ ዓወትን መንጠርቲ እምበር ናይ መወዳእታ ሸቶ ህዝቢ ኤርትራ ኣይነበረን። ከምኡ ስለ ዝኾነ እዩ ከኣ ህዝብና ምእንቲ ዘተኣማምን ሰላም፡ ልምዓትን ዲሞክራስን ድሕሪ ናጽነት እውን ቃልሱ ኣንጻር መላኺ ስርዓት ኢሳያስ ዝቕጽሎ ዘሎ።

ኢሳያስን ጉጅለኡን ቀዳሞት ጸላእቲ ህዝቢ ኤርትራ ካብ ዝኾኑ ነዊሕ ግዜ ኮይኑ እዩ። ሓያሎ ኤርትራውያን ወገናት ግና ጉጅለ ህግዲፍ “ሓድሽ ኣተሓሳስባ ኣጥሪዩ ደኾን ድምጺ ህዝቢ ይሰምዕ ይኸውን” ብዝብል ተስፋን ትጽቢትን፡ ነቲ ጉጅለ ግዜን ዕድልን ክህብዎ እምበር “ቀዳማይ ጸላኢና እዩ” ክብልዎ ኣይመረጹን። ብግብሪ ግና እ መርዛም ጉጅለ እንተዘይከፊኡ፡ ካብቶም ቅድሚኡ ዝነበሩ ናይ ግዳም ሓይልታት መግዛእቲ ዘይሓይሽ ምዃኑ እንዳበረሀ ምስ መጸ እቶም ካብቲ ጉጅለ ተስፋ ዘይቆረጹ እንዳወሓዱ፡ እቶም ጸላኢ ህዝቢ ኤርትራ ምዃኑ ዝተረድኡ ኤርትራዊ ወገናት ከኣ እንዳበዝሑ መጺኦም። ኣብዚ እዋንዚ ዋላ ዓው ኢሉ ኣይዛረብ፡ ንኢሳያስን ኣተሓሳስባኡን ካብ ልቡ ዘየውጸኦ ኤርትራዊ የለን። እቲ ብቓልዕ ዝኹንኖ ወገን  ብፍልስይ ካብ ኤርትራ ወጻኢ መመሊሱ ይስስን ኣሎ።

ኣብዚ እዋንዚ ጉጅለ ኢሳያስ ኣብቲ ኣብ መንጎ ፈደራላዊ መንግስቲ ኢትዮጵያን ክልል ትግራይን ዝካየድ ዘሎ ደማዊ ውግእ  ኢዱ ከም ዘእተወ ናይ ኣደባባይ ምስጢር እዩ። ኢሳያስ ቅድሚ ፈደራላዊ መንግስቲ ኢትዮጵያ፡ እዚ ሕጂ ዝካየድ ዘሎ ውግእ ከም ዝካየድ በቲ “ንወያነ ዝምልከት ጸወታ ተወዲኡ” ዝበሎ ኣውጅዎ እዩ። ካብዚ ነቒሎም እዮም ከኣ ብዙሓት ናይ ቀረባ ተዓዘብቲ ኢሳያስ ኣብዚ ውግእ ተዓዲሙ ክሕግዝን ዝሳተፍን ዘሎ ዘይኮነ፡ “ዋናኡን መሃዚኡን ንሱ እዩ” ዝብሉ ዘለዉ። እቲ ወተሃደራት ፈደራላዊ መንግስቲ ኢትዮጵያ ኣብ ኤርትራ ዘካይድዎ ዘለዉ ገምዳሕዳሕ ከኣ ባዕሉ መስካሪ እዩ።

ህዝቢ ኤርትራ ቅድሚ ሕጂ ብመንጽርቲ ክብደቲ ኣብ ልዕሊኡ ዘውርዶ ዝነበረ በደል፡ ኣንጻር ጉጅለ ህግደፍ ከምምዘይጨከነ ብዙሓት ክዕዘብዎን ክሓትሉን ዝጸንሑ እዩ። ንሕና እውን ግብረ መልሲ ህዝቢ ኤርትራ ኣንጻር ወጻዒ ግብርን ኣተሓሳስባን ህዝብና ማዕረቲ ኣብ ልዕሊኡ ዝወርድ በደል ከምዘይጸነሐ ንርዳእ ኢና። ስለምንታይ ከምዚ ኮይኑ? ህዝቢ ንወጽዓን ወጻዒኡን ክሳብ ክንድዚ ክጸውርከ ባህርያዊ ድዩ? ዝብሉ ሕቶታት ብዝተፈላለዩ ወገናት ከቕርቡ ዝጸንሑ እዮም። ብፍላይ በቶም ንረቂቕ ህዝቢ ኣብ ሕድሕዱ ኣጠማሚትካን ፈላሊኻን ናይ ምግዛእ ተንኮል ጉጅለ ህግዲፍ ዘይተረድኡ ወገናት፡ እዚ ሕቶታትዚ ክቐርብ እትጽበዮ እዩ። ንሕና ግና ተሳትፎ ህዝብና ኣብ ቃልሲ ኣንጻር ጉጅለ ህግዲፍ ክንድቲ ዝድለ ዘይምጽንሑ ንወጽዓ ህግዲፍ ስለ ዝረዓመ ዘይኮነ፡ ካብ ዓቕሙ ንላዕሊ ኮይኑ ስለ ዝጸገሞ ምዃኑ ኣይንዝንግዖን ኢና። ሕጂ ከኣ እነሆ ንህዝብና ምጻሩን ምጽማሙ ዘጸገም መዓት ጐቲትሉ ኣሎ።

ሎሚ ጉጅለ ኢሳያስ ሒዝዎ ዘሎ  መሻረዊ መንግዲ፡ እኩብ ድምር ናይቲ ክመጾ ዝጸንሐ መርዛም ተመኩሮ ስለ ዝኾነ  ኣዝዩ ሓደገኛ እዩ። እዚ ሒዝዎ ዘሎ መንገዲ ጥፍኣት ከምቲ ናይ ቅድሚ ሕጂ ህይወት ዝህልቕን ንብረት ዘብርስን ጥራይ ዘይኮነ፡ ሃገር ብዓባያ ምስ ህዝባ ኣብ ሓደጋ ዘውድቕ እዩ። ብኣንጻሩ ብዓንተቦ እንተዘይተቖጽዩ እቲ ጉጅለ ሕነ ዝፈድየሉ፡ ምእንቲ ሰላም፡ ልምዓትን ዲሞክራስን ዝቃለሱ ኤርትራዊ ኣካላት ዘዳኽመሉን ኣብዚ ዞባ ዘራጊ ተራኡ ዘዛይደሉን ኩነታት ዝፈጥር ምዃኑ ርኡይ እዩ። ህዝቢ ኤርትራ ነዚ እውን ከምቲ ናይ ቅድም እንተደኣ ተዓጊስዎ ደሓር ተጣዒስካ ዘይምለስ ዋጋ ከም ዘኽፍሎ ብሩህ እዩ። ስለዚ ጽባሕ ተጣዒስካ ኣብ ዘይዛሪ ጸገም ቅድሚ ምውዳቕ፡ ህዝቢ ኤርትራ ጉልባቡ ቀሊዑ ዓው ኢሉ ኣንጻር ህግዲፍ ክለዓል ምርጫ ዘይኮነ ናይ ግድን እዩ።

Sunday, 22 November 2020 14:01

Eritrean Orthodox church calls for an end to the war in Ethiopia

Written by

NOVEMBER 21, 2020  ETHIOPIA, NEWS

Source: Orthodox Church of North America, Europe and the Middle East

Eritrea – Orthodox Church of North America, Europe and the Middle East

We call on the war between the peoples of Ethiopia to stop

In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen.

It is saddening to note that the war inside Ethiopia is getting worse.  War feeds on people.  The war that is currently underway in Tigray, kills people, destroys property, and harms the elderly, children and pregnant women without discrimination.  The Papacy of the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahdo church:

  1. The leadership of the federal government, the government of the Tigray region should recognise there is nothing to be gained from war other than long lasting animosity and hatred between the people and potential destruction of the sovereignty of the country and we call on the parties, in the name of the holy Church, to resolve their differences in a calm manner around a table.
  1. The war that has been unleashed creates long lasting animosity and hatred between the people and potential destruction of the sovereignty of the country, if allowed to continue it will be dangerous to the horn of Africa at large and to Eritrea who is in the fringes of war.
  1. The war, as long as it is not waged against the sovereignty and independence of Eritrea, the government of Eritrea must refrain from involvement and warmongering and not allow our youth to shed their blood in a war across the border and interfere in the affairs of a sovereign country Ethiopia and take sides in the conflict.
  1. To the Eritrean defence forces: the blood that was shed was enough; those of you who survived previous wars should not allow yourselves to die in this war.
  1. The people of Tigray provided refuge and protection to those Eritreans who escaped and sought safety and solace from those who made them flee from their country.  We should now return the good will and support the people of Tigray and refrain from taking any other measures that could put their lives and property in harms’ way.  You should oppose any moves by Eritrea that are designed to harm the people of Tigray or others and recognise your historic role.
  1. We call on international NGOs, human rights organisations, leaders of neighbouring countries to put pressure on the leaders of both groups to stop this dangerous war and resolve their differences through peaceful means and through dialogue.
  1. We call on the international community to protect the Eritrean refugees that are based in the refugee camps in Ethiopia and ensure their safety and protect their rights.  As stated in the Holy Bible “He puts an end to wars over all the earth; by him the bow is broken, and the spear cut in two, and the carriage burned in the fire (Psalms 46:9)” we make our spiritual call on believers to fast and pray so God can end this war.

May the Lord give us his peace

Orthodox Church of Eritrea

Papacy of North America, Europe and the Middle East

Sunday, 22 November 2020 13:50

Secret UN report reveals fears of long and bitter war in Ethiopia

Written by

NOVEMBER 21, 2020  ETHIOPIA, NEWS

Confidential papers warn that, despite talk of success, army faces heavy resistance and regional stability is at risk

Source: Guardian

Ethiopian national forces are meeting heavy resistance and face a protracted “war of attrition” in the northern region of Tigray, a confidential United Nations assessment reveals.

Though officials in Addis Ababa, the capital, have repeatedly claimed that key towns have been secured, paramilitaries and militia deployed by the army are still struggling to clear and secure territory. Heavily armed regular troops have continued to advance into Tigray as they rush to reach the capital, Mekelle, the assessment says.

The UN document and more than a dozen interviews with aid workers from other international organisations give the most comprehensive overview so far of the fighting, and will deepen international concerns that the two-week-old conflict threatens to become a long and brutal battle, destabilising one of Africa’s most fragile regions.

Information has been difficult to obtain and confirm with communications cut to Tigray and journalists banned. Hundreds, possibly thousands, of people have been killed so far and many more have been displaced. More than 36,000 have fled into neighbouring Sudan, and large numbers are on the move within Tigray to avoid the fighting.

Prime minister Abiy Ahmed
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Prime minister Abiy Ahmed pledged to end the era of dominance by Tigray when he came to power. Photograph: Reuters

Abiy Ahmed, the Ethiopian prime minister, said early last week that the Ethiopian Defence Forces (EDF) were poised to make a “final push” to secure Mekelle and oust the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), the ruling party in the region. Last Thursday, government spokesman Redwan Hussein told reporters that national forces were “moving forward and closing in on Mekelle” and that a number of towns had fallen.

“Although Tigray regional forces may have initially been backfooted by the EDF’s swift advances, the terrain in eastern Tigray is easier to defend… and if they make a stand, they have the capability to stall the EDF advance,” one analysis reads, warning that this will then “change the dimension of the conflict from one of rapid movement into one of attrition”.

Documents seen by the Observer report continuing combat in areas which Addis Ababa claims are now controlled by government forces, though their authors admit information is hard to verify.

“After the EDF have reportedly ‘taken’ key towns such as Humera, Dansha, Shiraro, Alamata and Shire, and then pushed on with their advance, fighting has continued to be reported, or has subsequently erupted again in these locations,” one reliable account said.

The documents describe well-trained and heavily armed frontline units from the Ethiopian army bypassing main towns to avoid costly urban fighting as they hurry towards Mekelle. But the militia and paramilitaries deployed in their wake are neither as well-equipped nor as disciplined and so are vulnerable to counter-attack.

One assessment predicted that if Ethiopian forces continue to advance, their supply lines and rear areas will become more vulnerable to guerilla attacks and casualties will mount.

army personnel in tank aiming a large gun
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Undated image from the state-owned Ethiopian News Agency army personnel near the border of the Tigray and Amhara regions. Photograph: AP

The conflict in north-west Ethiopia is the culmination of months of rising tensions between the TPLF and the ruling coalition in Addis Ababa. When national elections were cancelled because of the pandemic, the TPLF held polls anyway, in a move that aggravated tensions.

Abiy, who is Africa’s youngest leader and won the Nobel peace prize last year, launched his operation after accusing the TPLF of attacking a military camp and trying to seize military hardware.

The African Union said last Friday that it would send a team of mediators to Ethiopia in a bid to resolve the dispute, but few observers see much immediate prospect for peace.

The US ambassador to Ethiopia, Michael Raynor, said recent conversations with Abiy and with Debretsion Gebremichael, the hardline TPLF leader, had convinced him there was “a strong commitment on both sides to see the military conflict through”.

In a statement this week, the TPLF said hardships are part of life in wartime and promised to give Ethiopian troops “hell”on its home turf.

The reports seen by the Observer depict a complex and dynamic conflict across much of Tigray, with major clashes in the west of the region – as Ethiopian forces sought to advance towards the strategic town of Humera – and in the south-west, along the main road to Mekelle. Heavy fighting has also been reported around the town of Alamata, six miles from the border with neighbouring Amhara province which is fiercely loyal to the central government.

Ethiopian planes have launched air strikes, and Tigrayans have fired missiles into Amhara and Eritrea, which has supported the offensive to remove the TPLF. At least one massacre has been reported: it has been blamed on retreating Tigrayan militia targeting a community seen as loyal to the central government, but there is no confirmation of this.

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5:42
Why is Ethiopia facing civil war? – video explainer

Though they number only 6 million out of a total 110 million people living in Africa’s second most populous country, Tigrayans effectively ruled Ethiopia for decades. Until Abiy took power two years ago, they were the strongest force in a multi-ethnic coalition. Abiy, whose parents are from the larger Oromo and Amhara ethnic groups, freed thousands of political prisoners and pledged to end domination by one ethnic group.

“Even if the EDF are successful in their mission to take Mekelle,” the UN assessment warns, “this will not necessarily end the conflict. It is likely that a protracted asymmetric conflict and insurgency would continue. From a humanitarian perspective, the longer the conflict is drawn out, the more severe the crisis will become.”

Ethiopia has long been a linchpin of US policy in the fragile east African region and so far Washington has supported Abiy.

Tibor Nagy, US assistant secretary for African affairs, told reporters last week: “This is not two sovereign states fighting. This is a faction of the government running a region that has decided to undertake hostilities against the central government, and it has not … had the effect they thought they were going to get.”

On Saturday, Abiy said on Twitter that the safety and wellbeing of the people of Tigray was of paramount importance and the federal government would do everything to “ensure stability prevails in the Tigray region and that our citizens are free from harm and want”.

Secret UN report reveals fears of long and bitter war in Ethiopia

NOVEMBER 21, 2020  ETHIOPIA, NEWS

Confidential papers warn that, despite talk of success, army faces heavy resistance and regional stability is at risk

Source: Guardian

Ethiopian national forces are meeting heavy resistance and face a protracted “war of attrition” in the northern region of Tigray, a confidential United Nations assessment reveals.

Though officials in Addis Ababa, the capital, have repeatedly claimed that key towns have been secured, paramilitaries and militia deployed by the army are still struggling to clear and secure territory. Heavily armed regular troops have continued to advance into Tigray as they rush to reach the capital, Mekelle, the assessment says.

The UN document and more than a dozen interviews with aid workers from other international organisations give the most comprehensive overview so far of the fighting, and will deepen international concerns that the two-week-old conflict threatens to become a long and brutal battle, destabilising one of Africa’s most fragile regions.

Information has been difficult to obtain and confirm with communications cut to Tigray and journalists banned. Hundreds, possibly thousands, of people have been killed so far and many more have been displaced. More than 36,000 have fled into neighbouring Sudan, and large numbers are on the move within Tigray to avoid the fighting.

Abiy Ahmed, the Ethiopian prime minister, said early last week that the Ethiopian Defence Forces (EDF) were poised to make a “final push” to secure Mekelle and oust the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), the ruling party in the region. Last Thursday, government spokesman Redwan Hussein told reporters that national forces were “moving forward and closing in on Mekelle” and that a number of towns had fallen.

“Although Tigray regional forces may have initially been backfooted by the EDF’s swift advances, the terrain in eastern Tigray is easier to defend… and if they make a stand, they have the capability to stall the EDF advance,” one analysis reads, warning that this will then “change the dimension of the conflict from one of rapid movement into one of attrition”.

Documents seen by the Observer report continuing combat in areas which Addis Ababa claims are now controlled by government forces, though their authors admit information is hard to verify.

“After the EDF have reportedly ‘taken’ key towns such as Humera, Dansha, Shiraro, Alamata and Shire, and then pushed on with their advance, fighting has continued to be reported, or has subsequently erupted again in these locations,” one reliable account said.

The documents describe well-trained and heavily armed frontline units from the Ethiopian army bypassing main towns to avoid costly urban fighting as they hurry towards Mekelle. But the militia and paramilitaries deployed in their wake are neither as well-equipped nor as disciplined and so are vulnerable to counter-attack.

One assessment predicted that if Ethiopian forces continue to advance, their supply lines and rear areas will become more vulnerable to guerilla attacks and casualties will mount.

The conflict in north-west Ethiopia is the culmination of months of rising tensions between the TPLF and the ruling coalition in Addis Ababa. When national elections were cancelled because of the pandemic, the TPLF held polls anyway, in a move that aggravated tensions.

Abiy, who is Africa’s youngest leader and won the Nobel peace prize last year, launched his operation after accusing the TPLF of attacking a military camp and trying to seize military hardware.

The African Union said last Friday that it would send a team of mediators to Ethiopia in a bid to resolve the dispute, but few observers see much immediate prospect for peace.

The US ambassador to Ethiopia, Michael Raynor, said recent conversations with Abiy and with Debretsion Gebremichael, the hardline TPLF leader, had convinced him there was “a strong commitment on both sides to see the military conflict through”.

In a statement this week, the TPLF said hardships are part of life in wartime and promised to give Ethiopian troops “hell”on its home turf.

The reports seen by the Observer depict a complex and dynamic conflict across much of Tigray, with major clashes in the west of the region – as Ethiopian forces sought to advance towards the strategic town of Humera – and in the south-west, along the main road to Mekelle. Heavy fighting has also been reported around the town of Alamata, six miles from the border with neighbouring Amhara province which is fiercely loyal to the central government.

Ethiopian planes have launched air strikes, and Tigrayans have fired missiles into Amhara and Eritrea, which has supported the offensive to remove the TPLF. At least one massacre has been reported: it has been blamed on retreating Tigrayan militia targeting a community seen as loyal to the central government, but there is no confirmation of this.

Why is Ethiopia facing civil war? – video explainer

Though they number only 6 million out of a total 110 million people living in Africa’s second most populous country, Tigrayans effectively ruled Ethiopia for decades. Until Abiy took power two years ago, they were the strongest force in a multi-ethnic coalition. Abiy, whose parents are from the larger Oromo and Amhara ethnic groups, freed thousands of political prisoners and pledged to end domination by one ethnic group.

“Even if the EDF are successful in their mission to take Mekelle,” the UN assessment warns, “this will not necessarily end the conflict. It is likely that a protracted asymmetric conflict and insurgency would continue. From a humanitarian perspective, the longer the conflict is drawn out, the more severe the crisis will become.”

Ethiopia has long been a linchpin of US policy in the fragile east African region and so far Washington has supported Abiy.

Tibor Nagy, US assistant secretary for African affairs, told reporters last week: “This is not two sovereign states fighting. This is a faction of the government running a region that has decided to undertake hostilities against the central government, and it has not … had the effect they thought they were going to get.”

On Saturday, Abiy said on Twitter that the safety and wellbeing of the people of Tigray was of paramount importance and the federal government would do everything to “ensure stability prevails in the Tigray region and that our citizens are free from harm and want”.

Source=Secret UN report reveals fears of long and bitter war in Ethiopia - Eritrea Hub

Saturday, 21 November 2020 23:19

Radio Dimtsi Harnnet Sweden 21.11.2020

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Friday, 20 November 2020 23:21

Eritreans and Ethiopians launch a joint anti-war campaign in the UK

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NOVEMBER 20, 2020  ETHIOPIA, NEWS

(London 20/11/2020) Eritreans and Ethiopians opposed to the war in the State of Tigray in Ethiopia as well as the rest of Ethiopia and Eritrea, have today launched a joint campaign group that works to end the war by highlighting the devastation and humanitarian consequences of it.

The attack on Mekelle on 4th November escalated what had been long-standing tensions between Ethiopia’s federal government and the regional government of Tigray into a war.

Organising their activities under the slogan #AbiyEndTheWar the group comprising of Eritrean and Ethiopian campaigners aims to lobby the international community, raise awareness of the truths and myths concerning the war among fellow Eritreans, Ethiopians, the wider African community and friends of Africa. The group aims to carry out a peaceful socially distanced rally in London once lock down is lifted.

Yenabi Mezghebe spokeswoman for the group today stated ‘we are devastated by the war that has the hallmarks of a genocide initially against Tigrayans but will no doubt engulf many others if left unchecked, we call on all peace loving human beings to condemn the war and to call for reconciliation and mediation for all leaders involved’.

The campaign group is a very rare example of collaboration among Eritreans and Ethiopians given the many years of animosity between the two countries.

The war has escalated to engulf the Ethiopian federal government and two regional states in Ethiopia as well as Eritrea. The war was officially declared by Abiy Ahmed the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and Prime Minister of Ethiopia following many months of escalating stand-off with his former colleagues in the Government of the Tigray State in the north.

Eritrea under President Isaias Afwerki, who has led the country without election since the country’s independence in 1993 joined the war in support of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed with whom he is said to have been having an unconventionally close relationship following their equally unconventional peace deal in 2018.

End

The joint group can be contacted on: +447939539468 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Friday, 20 November 2020 23:17

British government calls on Ethiopia to allow aid agencies access to Tigray

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NOVEMBER 20, 2020  ETHIOPIA, NEWS

Source: Hansard

Photo of Harriett BaldwinHarriett Baldwin Conservative, West Worcestershire

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect of the political situation in Ethiopia on the humanitarian situation in (a) Ethiopia, (b) Eritrea and (c) Sudan.

Photo of James DuddridgeJames Duddridge Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We are concerned by the ongoing violence between federal and regional forces in the Tigray region and the risk it poses to civilians, and by reports of ethnically-motivated attacks. We are gravely concerned at Amnesty International‘s report of killings of civilians on 9 November and are investigating. The Foreign Secretary called Prime Minister Abiy on 10 November to raise our concerns and stress the urgent need to prioritise the protection of civilian lives, restore services (including banks and telecommunications) and enable humanitarian access. I also spoke to the Ethiopian Ambassador in London on 18 November to reiterate our concerns. The UK has called for immediate de-escalation in Tigray and is working closely with humanitarian agencies to ensure that aid reaches civilians affected by the fighting.

We are reviewing the impact the conflict is having on the delivery of essential health, food and education services in the region and assessing the humanitarian need. Before the current conflict there were already more than one million highly vulnerable persons across Tigray including refugees, internally displaced persons and chronically food insecure communities. The UN predicts that an additional 800,000 people could be impacted by violence in Tigray, causing internal displacement within Ethiopia and across international borders, notably in Sudan where UNHCR reports more than 27,000 people have now crossed the border. We continue to monitor the situation and are appealing to the Government of Ethiopia and others to ensure humanitarian access to those in need in Tigray and affected areas.

Thursday, 19 November 2020 23:29

Troops fan out in Uganda capital as "war-like" unrest follows opposition leader's arrest

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By Elias Biryabarema

 

KAMPALA, Nov 19 (Reuters) - Youths burned tyres and blockaded streets in Uganda’s capital Kampala on Thursday and soldiers fanned out across the city with armoured vehicles, in a show of force a day after the arrest of an opposition presidential candidate triggered deadly unrest.

Police said three people were killed and at least 34 injured on Wednesday in what they described as riots after the arrest of Bobi Wine, a pop star and lawmaker who is the leading challenger to President Yoweri Museveni in an election in January. The state-run daily New Vision said at least seven people had died.

“This is a war-like situation, so the army has to deploy,” army spokeswoman Brigadier Flavia Byekwaso told Reuters.

“You can see what is going on, people are being stoned, people are being killed, vehicles are being vandalised, tyres everywhere,” she said. “These things are spontaneous on all streets, so police cannot handle such a situation.”

Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, was detained on Wednesday after authorities accused him of violating anti-coronavirus measures by holding mass rallies.

Moments after Wine was detained while campaigning in eastern Uganda, spontaneous protests erupted in Kampala and several other major towns. Security personnel responded with tear gas. A journalist who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity said he had seen troops firing automatic rifles.

There were signs that more violence could unfold on Thursday. A witness in Kyaliwajjala and surrounding areas in Kampala’s northern outskirts told Reuters he had seen youth piling tyres and wooden barricades on roads and setting them on fire.

Byekwaso, the army spokeswoman, said squads of both military and police were skirmishing with protesters in different parts of Kampala. At least two witnesses in the city told Reuters some streets in the city centre were deserted.

Authorities have been rattled by Wine’s surging support, especially among the youth, ahead of the Jan. 14 presidential election. Museveni, 76, has been in power since 1986 and is seeking a sixth term. (Reporting by Elias Biryabarema)

Thursday, 19 November 2020 21:02

Radio Dimtsi Harnnet Kassel 19.11.2020

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Radio Dimtsi Harnnet Kassel 19.11.2020
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