Mereja Forum

[Asmara]

Here is Blinken's statement



Continuing Atrocities and Denial of Humanitarian Access in Ethiopia’s Tigray Region
Press Statement
Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State
May 15, 2021

The United States is gravely concerned by the increasing number of confirmed cases of military forces blocking humanitarian access to parts of the Tigray region.

This unacceptable behavior places the 5.2 million people in the region in immediate need of humanitarian assistance at even greater risk.
The United States unequivocally calls upon the Governments of Eritrea and Ethiopia to take all necessary steps to ensure that their forces in Tigray cease and desist this reprehensible conduct.

We also again call on all parties to comply with obligations under international humanitarian law, including those relevant to the protection of civilians, and to cease immediately all hostilities and allow relief to reach those suffering and in greatest need of assistance.

The Ethiopian government should lead in this regard and immediately facilitate full and unhindered access for humanitarian actors to all parts of the Tigray region.

There are many credible reports of armed forces in Tigray committing acts of violence against civilians, including gender-based violence and other human rights abuses and atrocities.

The conduct of the Eritrean Defense Forces and Amhara regional forces have been particularly egregious. The continued presence of Eritrean forces in Tigray further undermines Ethiopia’s stability and national unity.

We again call upon the Government of Eritrea to remove its forces from Tigray. Both Eritrean and Ethiopian authorities have repeatedly promised such a withdrawal, but we have seen no movement towards implementation.

We equally urge the Government of Ethiopia to withdraw Amhara regional forces from the Tigray region and ensure that effective control of western Tigray is returned to the Transitional Government of Tigray.

Prime Minister Abiy and President Isaias must hold all those responsible for atrocities accountable.

Most contributors to this thread are forgetting few crucial points.

1. America has the power and the will to force any party to obey its decisions. They can apply financial, diplomatic or as a last resort a military option to enforce its decisions.

2. Does America want to apply one of the above options in Ethiopia or Tigray for that matter? No! They know it is impossible to bring TPLF back to life. Hence, knowing this, they want to pressure Abiy to accept the usual master-slave relationship America so desperately wants. Do I want Abiy to succumb to their pressures? None of my business.

3. They have sent numerous messages to the Eritrean government to withdraw its troops from Tigray. Since when does America beg a third world country to follow its instructions? The truth is that the last thing America wants is the disintegration of Ethiopia. America believes that Eritrea is helping Abiy in keeping Ethiopia in one piece at least until Abiy becomes an 'emboldened' slave. Do I want Eritrean troops leave Tigray? Absolutely yes! I don't want my brothers and sisters pay the ultimate price to stabilise another country. We have regained our occupied territories and we should only wish Ethiopians peace and tranquility. Period!

[gearhead]

All this noise is to maintain eritrean occupation. Eritrea is where there is a clear statement. If and when eritrea is removed, amhara will just be a consequence.
All this GURAGE brouhaha is to hide their failed theft and hide behind amhara skirt. Truth is, no one takes amhara too seriously other than mention then as an annex to the tigray issue.

The minute Eritrea moved in and stayed, Ethiopia lost its sovereignty argument! For all intensive purposes, all america has to do is prove concern for its national interest and move in just as eritrea moved in Tigray.

America's engagement wont be any different than UKs engagement during WWII against occupation of Italy (eritrean askari and ethiopian banda forces)!

EZEMA has lost all the political, legal and economic debate!

እምቢ የተባለ ሱቅ በደረቴ;
እራሱን ይደጋግማል!!

EZEMA ወዶ ጋላው አብይ የገዛው ሱቅ በደረቴ ጌታው ነው!!

[DefendTheTruth]

Empty bravado or ignore is not the answer

The West is using Ethiopia's internal crisis as a proxy to contain China's influence in the region and they have a plan to destabilize Ethiopia, The rivalry between the United States/The EU and China have placed Ethiopia in a dilemma, Ethiopia will soon have to pick a side in the China West rivalry, that's it.

I beg to differ here.

It doesn't matter if Ethiopia is on the side of China or the West if Ethiopia will remain weak for the foreseeable future. To keep Ethiopia weak one of the easiest way is to keep it divided within itself. Here the best medicine for for this was the TPLF that they helped come to power and sustained it there for decades and Ethiopia was getting weaker and weaker while TPLF was there. They effectively put Ethiopia under check through that.

Once TPLF was removed and their tool to keep Ethiopia weak was no more available they thought that they lost control, if they lost control Ethiopia can become more and more self-assertive and no more ready to accept the orders of the big-boss.

If TPLF is back, then China can also stay, that is not that much a worry for America the imperialist.

They are not happy about two things in the current set-up of Ethiopia:

- TPLF, a reliabel servant of its master, is no more on the scene.
- The current leadership of Ethiopia is self-assertive and very much ambitious to restore the "lost glory of the past" and that is what Imperialists don't like anywhere on this planet, let alone in the strategically important region of the HoA.

I will like to be proven wrong but I didn't wait for this so called statement of the American State Department to make my mind in this regard, I said already during the recent war (law enforcement operation) in Tigray after watching the views coming from different directions on that particular event.

This is not about defending TPLF, Tigray, China, Ethiopia or somebody else, it is about pursuing one's own long term interest (of the imperialists).

[DefendTheTruth]

I think the best thing to do is just ignore whatever the US State Department says about Ethiopian internal politics. Just ignore the noise making, and the Ethiopian government keeps doing what it does. The US State Department is becoming irrational by the day, and , I think, it is hard for the Ethiopian government to keep up with the nonsense.

Well, Sam Ebalalehu, in the face of a relentless adversary that is not looking back to eat and swallow you as a whole, ignoring is not the best means in my view. You can suggest to try to devise an appropriate strategy and ready yourself to defend your interest before the adversary would eat you (an indefinite pronoun) up in pursuant of its own interest.

[Abdisa]

It's not surprising that Blinken's statement came minutes after the Ethiopian election board announced a delay in holding the general election for technical and practical reasons, which Blinken fears could be further postponed to foil his sinister agenda. Remember what happened during Venezuela's elections? “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Watch this...

"... in the past, the majority of these people have been invisible, excluded from the political and economic power. Today, they display the confidence of those who know an extraordinary change has come to their lives...." (Sound familiar?)

[Horus]

የእስራኤልና ሃማስ ጦርነት ያፍሪካን ቀንድ እየነካ ነው !!

[AbyssiniaLady]

Horus.

Ethiopia simply happens to be a poor or weak fighting ground.

Only god can save Ethiopia.


DefendTheTruth.

The main subject of your post.

TPLF
Assertive leaders
The lost glory of the past

Sorry but you sound extremely naive, The western countries don't care about TPLF, Tigray people and human rights violations in Tigray region, nor do they care about Eritrea interference in Ethiopia's internal affairs, If it were not for China's investment in Ethiopia and cooperation with the Ethiopia's federal government, the western countries wouldn't even bother concerning themselves with Ethiopia's internal crisis, China's growing influence in Ethiopia is a threat to the western countries.

[Abdisa]

Excellent analysis. Thanks for sharing.

የእስራኤልና ሃማስ ጦርነት ያፍሪካን ቀንድ እየነካ ነው !!

[Wedi]

Abiy Ahmed is trying to corner Amhara as If USA cares for Tigray!!

Abiy Ahmed told Americans that it is Amhara regional government who refused to leave Welkait and Raya.

No one tells Amharas to Leave Amhara from Welkait except evil Abiy Ahmed!! If I was leader of Amhara, like Agegnehu Teshager, I will not spend one night with Abiy Ahmed's PP party.

This the second time Abiy Ahmed is betraying Amhara people. The other one when tell the Sudan's leaders to Occupy and take under control the Western part of Amhara region, Gondar. Even Sudan's military leader was laughing when they asked to Leaver Gondar. Sudan's genaral said we cantrolled this area after Abiy asked us to control it. That is in the public domain.