Congressman Sherman, do the lives of other millions of Ethiopian's matter too?
The US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee held a hearing session on “Africa, Global Health, and Global Human Rights”, a day before yesterday. Of course, the case of Ethiopia was at the heart of the hearing. Here are two contrasting views:
“Is the US air force willing to protect the American or UN planes as they bring currently needed supplies that are necessary to prevent this genocide by famine? . . . I would hope you [Molly Phee, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs] will consult Secretary Blinken. I remember the Clinton Administration’s reaction after Rwanda of wishing we had done more, and it is clear we can do more than we are” — Brad Sherman, (D-CA)
“I’ve repeatedly called upon the State Department . . . to take a more even-handed approach to the conflict, which is not simply limited to Tigray; but it’s extended to Amhara and Afar regions as well as Oromia. Secretary Blinken needs to, in my opinion, fairly call out atrocities regardless of who commits them . . . Each [group] sadly has both victims and victimizers. The state department has the most part focus on atrocities by the Ethiopian government and the Amhara regional forces on the ghastly equal reprehensive atrocities committed by the TPLF which actually precipitated the immediate conflict . . .” — Chris Smith (R-NJ)
The USA’s relation with Ethiopia is being strained precisely because of voices such as Representative Brad Sherman, or those behind him. Selective hearing and outrage are irrational, irresponsible, and immoral. Fundamental to the USA’s constitution is the recognition of the inherent dignity and equality of all human beings as the foundation of freedom, justice, and peace. It affirms that “all human beings are born free and equal, in dignity and in rights, and, being endowed by nature with reason and conscience, they should conduct themselves as brothers one to another.”
The honorable Sherman’s outrage has no mentioning of the atrocities committed by the TPLF. The most notable was the Nov. 3, 2020 massacre of members of the northern federal command stationed in Tigray for over 20 years. He must know this has been the root cause that has spurred a humanitarian crisis, with now more than 7 million people in need of assistance across the regions of Tigray, Amhara, and Afar and more than 2.1 million internally displaced people. This is also a fact that his party and government have recently recognized after months of silence, following the publication of the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC)/Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Joint Investigation Team (JIT) report. And yet no one single reference to the unspeakable suffering the TPLF has caused: the mass ethnic-based killing, the looting, gang rapes, and the massive displacement of civilians in the Amhara and Afar regions. What makes the TPLF’s advance heartbreaking is to see children enlisted against the Geneva Conventions. It is now over five months since it has invaded these two regions, defying the June 28 Ethiopia’s government unilateral cease-fire.
Sadly, that we live in an age where truth and media-worthiness are decided by the power of money and politics and by sensationalism. Ethiopia’s image has been unfairly disfigured. The USA and its allies, as voiced by Sherman, claim that Ethiopia is carrying out a campaign of ethnic cleansing in Tigray — the very basis to justify the unjust and immoral sanction against its people. I hear Sherman with disbelief when he insisted on military intervention on the assumption that the Ethiopian government has made a “concentration camp” (implying an extermination), using famine as a weapon of genocide. Here is the truth:
“𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙅𝙄𝙏 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙢 𝙙𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙗𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙤𝙧 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙪𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙖𝙣 𝙥𝙤𝙥𝙪𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙞𝙣 𝙏𝙞𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙮 𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙫𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝙬𝙚𝙖𝙥𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙬𝙖𝙧.” (Executive Summary, JET, page, 5).
The humanitarian pretext to justify meddling in Ethiopia’s internal affairs is an old famine politics in which the USA-backed TPLF was enabled to overthrow the Military Marxist regime in 1991. It is also ironic to note that the TPLF was once deemed a “Tiet III Orgaqniztion” by the US State Department until it somehow conveniently became an ally! Here is the truth:
“𝙏𝙞𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙘𝙚𝙨 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙨𝙤 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙨𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙪𝙥 𝙧𝙤𝙖𝙙 𝙗𝙡𝙤𝙘𝙠𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙨 𝙙𝙚𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙙𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙪𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙖𝙣 𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙛.: Executive Summary, page, page 5). The report reveals: “𝙤𝙗𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙛𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙥𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙗𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙏𝙞𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙘𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙖𝙙𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙧𝙤𝙖𝙙 𝙗𝙡𝙤𝙘𝙠𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙨 𝙗𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙏𝙞𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙘𝙚𝙨 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙝𝙪𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙪𝙥 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙚𝙚 𝙙𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙖𝙩 𝙖 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚.” (Executive Summary, page, page 73).
As early as March, 70% of the relief supply was provided by Ethiopia itself (reaching out to 4.5 million people in the first round and 5.2 million in the second and third respectively), despite its struggles. It has spent 100 billion Birr, nearly 13 times the annual budget allocated to Tigray.
The war, sadly, has caused human suffering in Tigray for which our hearts, as a nation, bleed with grief. Like all other wars, there have been confirmed cases of human rights violations, rapes, and looting. It is a sad reality that isolated barbaric and sadistic soldiers are present in any given war. The government has, courageously, accepted the JIT report while disagreeing on some specific details. (Annex V — Response by the Government of Ethiopia, pages 1–2). It has assured that it will “𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙙 𝙤𝙣 𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙅𝙄𝙏’𝙨 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙞𝙩𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙜𝙚 𝙞𝙩𝙨 𝙤𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙙𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙘 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙡𝙖𝙬.” (JTI, Annex V — Response by the Government of Ethiopia, pages 4).
This is consistent with its own ongoing investigation into human rights violations. Those who committed unlawful and extra-judicial killings and sexual violence were charged and brought to justice. This was not recognized by the USA, nor received media coverage. Contrastingly and predictably, the TPLF has “categorically” rejected the JIT, saying it is “neither impartial nor independent”. (See the spokesperson’s interview with CNN’s Becky Anderson, Nov. 9, 2021).
It is disheartening to see how USA’s foreign policies are being made or manipulated by “close friendship” between powerful diplomats, current and retired, and elites of the TPLF. This is a very hurtful and great injustice to the great majority of Ethiopians.
It is encouraging, nonetheless, to hear voices of reason such as that of Smith’s. I hope and pray that the views and sentiments expressed by Sherman do not reflect the majority of lawmakers in Washington who want to see Ethiopia’s peace restored. The USA needs to re-examine its reading of the conflict in Ethiopia toward a more objective, humane, balanced view. The right way forward is a collaborative dialogue that will foster peace, reconciliation, and healing based on justice and truth. A stronger, united, stable, and democratic Ethiopia is vital for the peace of Africa.
I offer my deep condolences to families of civilians who lost loved ones and soldiers who gave their lives for the peace of our country, including families of victims who lost their lives while doing relief work and rebuilding Tigray. May God heal victims of rape and watch over the displaced and the refugees, including the Eritreans. May all those who are in the midst of suffering in our nation find grace and renewed hope in the God of compassion.
May God keep our nation safe in His peace!
