Mereja.Forum

[Aba]

The Horn of Africa’s future depends on peace in Tigray


by Alexis Hancz. May 13, 2021

In spite of promises from Ethiopian and Eritrean leaders, the grave humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia’s Tigray region shows no sign of stopping. Hundreds of rapes, murders and village burnings in Tigray are the vicious byproducts of decades-long ethnic tensions and political turmoil in the Horn of Africa. These systemic afflictions must be met with an equally systemic response: a multilateral humanitarian effort which takes into account the deep-rooted problems of the region. Without it, the region will never see the peace and stability that Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed promised during his rise to power. Abiy is failing his own people, but the international community must not fail Ethiopians.

In light of international pressure to end the deadly fighting in Tigray, Abiy announced on March 23 that forces from Eritrea had agreed to withdraw from the region. Since then, however, the U.N. has reported no evidence of troop withdrawal, contrary to both Ethiopia and Eritrea’s supposed commitment to addressing the humanitarian disaster in the region. Despite his efforts to project the persona of a progressive African leader, Nobel Peace Prize recipient Abiy displays the behavior of a power-consolidating autocrat. This is a dark warning signal to Ethiopians that prosperity is only moving further out of reach. Worse yet, conflict continues to spill into the greater region as thousands of Ethiopians flee to Sudan and troops amass at the Ethiopia-Sudan border.

As it appears increasingly unlikely that Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki will follow through on his agreement to remove Eritrean troops from Tigray, the United States is pressing Abiy to end violence and human rights abuses in the Tigray region. In response to the growing humanitarian crisis, on April 26, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on Abiy to remove Eritrean troops from Tigray immediately. Even if Abiy responds to international calls for an immediate end to the violence, the aftermath of the conflict risks trapping Ethiopia into a state of perpetual instability and ethnic violence if not properly addressed. The violence in Tigray is not the byproduct of Abiy’s failure alone. It is a clear sign that unresolved ethnic divisions will destroy peace in the region until a multilaterally executed response is effective at decentralizing the political power of Ethiopia’s Amhara ethnic group.

Ethnic marginalization and the dominance of the Amhara ethnic group lie at the heart of the Tigray conflict. Long before Ethiopia’s 1974 revolution, the Ethiopian empire set its foundation in the political decentralization of all other ethnic groups. Forced assimilation into Amhara culture bred the ethnic animosity that erupted in human rights atrocities during the Ethiopian Civil War. The Tigray People’s Liberation Front’s guerilla campaign is a result of these unresolved sociopolitical asymmetries, and history repeating itself is a sign that Ethiopia has made little progress in ensuring the equality, liberty and enfranchisement of its diverse ethnic populations.

It is crucial that retributive and restorative justice policies center on community healing across ethnic lines, as well as granting long-marginalized ethnic groups political enfranchisement. However, this ideal stands in opposition to Abiy’s goal to consolidate power, especially under the pressure of upcoming elections. In order for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and Abiy’s Ethiopian Human Rights Commission to meaningfully investigate allegations, the elections must be put on hold. This multilateral undertaking is a step in the right direction, as it combines elements of state accountability with international oversight. This will hopefully insulate the process from potential abuse.

The international community should be wary that inter-ethnic dialogue runs the risk of being filtered and [deleted] to Abiy’s regime’s liking. This happened in the aftermath of the Rwanda genocide, a prime example of a [deleted] transitional justice process used to control the narrative of human rights abuses and ensure the quieting of dissent. In essence, allowing victims of the atrocities in Tigray to construct their own narratives of the conflict — with utmost respect given to their ethnic experience — must be a priority within the transitional justice process.

Holding perpetrators accountable for human rights violations in the Tigray region, including Abiy’s negligence, is vital in the construction of sustainable, long-term measures to pull the region out of the throes of ethnic division. Humanitarian aid must be dispensed with the wisdom that a months-long regional battle is only a small manifestation of decades, if not centuries, of ethnic power struggles in Ethiopia. The Tigray conflict will certainly not be put to rest at the first call for a ceasefire. Ethiopia will need the U.N. and U.S.’s continued humanitarian presence in the aftermath of the conflict in order to ensure peace and security. This needs to be coupled with a commitment from Abiy to decentralize political power around Amhara. Without a resolution, Ethiopia’s bloody past will only cut deeper into the Horn of Africa’s future.

Alexis Hancz is an Opinion Columnist and can be reached at [email protected].

https://www.michigandaily.com/columns/t ... igray/?amp

[Fiyameta]

The terrorist agame Aba Awash said......

Our TPLF forces preemptively disabled the Northern Command and confiscated all military hardware. I wonder where they're heading next.
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=235755

[Hasad crabmentality Tegaru]

Priest Aba ዘባሪቆስ

[TGAA]

A piece of garbage journalism . He must have copied and pasted it from Weyane's Demste weyane.
"In order for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and Abiy’s Ethiopian Human Rights Commission to meaningfully investigate allegations, the elections must be put on hold"
supposedly to negotiate with weyanes and bring them back to power after they back-stabbed the Ethiopian Defense forces. Weyanes are a terrorist organization and if Michigan is in US he dame well knows no country negotiate with Terorist.
Nothing tells more than this weyane's hired gun, Alexis Hancz, statement about Amharas
"Ethnic marginalization and the dominance of the Amhara ethnic group lie at the heart of the Tigray conflict"
It is a proof he didn't turn a page to do any investigation about Ethiopian politics -- After 27 years of uncontested dominance by Tigrian Weyanes , he thinks that Amharas are the problem though they are the second population in Ethiopia. Whatever this useless weyane [deleted] says Ethiopia has discarded weyanes and buried it seven feet under, never to return back. Weyanes have no choice but to accept the new reality as it is. or it will end up be ከወደቁ በኋላ መንፈራገጥ ለመላላጥ .

[The-lice head destroyer]

A piece of garbage journalism . He must have copied and pasted it from Weyane's Demste weyane.
"In order for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and Abiy’s Ethiopian Human Rights Commission to meaningfully investigate allegations, the elections must be put on hold"
supposedly to negotiate with weyanes and bring them back to power after they back-stabbed the Ethiopian Defense forces. Weyanes are a terrorist organization and if Michigan is in US he dame well knows no country negotiate with Terorist.
Nothing tells more than this weyane's hired gun, Alexis Hancz, statement about Amharas
"Ethnic marginalization and the dominance of the Amhara ethnic group lie at the heart of the Tigray conflict"
It is a proof he didn't turn a page to do any investigation about Ethiopian politics -- After 27 years of uncontested dominance by Tigrian Weyanes , he thinks that Amharas are the problem though they are the second population in Ethiopia. Whatever this useless weyane [deleted] says Ethiopia has discarded weyanes and buried it seven feet under, never to return back. Weyanes have no choice but to accept the new reality as it is. or it will end up be ከወደቁ በኋላ መንፈራገጥ ለመላላጥ .

Do you think any white men will research about Famine stricken Tigray? Do you really believe the white men will spend time about Famine stricken Tigray? As you said, it is just copy and paste to make an Agame important

[Aba]

You morons, even the US went into Vietnam and the Saudis/UAE (your Arab masters) into Yemen thinking it was a walk in the park. The moronic Tembienai junta is no different than the Saudi head-cutters.
A savage will always be a savage. Ask the Eritrean people what kind of savage has been destroying their lives for 30 years making them lead a miserable life

[Aba]

Priest Aba ዘባሪቆስ

Tigrawai Charlie: Higdef appoints a Tigrawai as 5th Patriarch of Eritrean OrthodoxChurch

[Deqi-Arawit]

Dedebit graduate awetash
All the huffing and bluffing send Tigrians to stone age and there is no power on earth which can return them to their former heyday days. Simply because your backbone is broken and The same behere behere soboch which was meant to secure the security threat of tigrains became their worst nightmare. Ethiopians could just see your ID which ethnic group you belong and treat you as such.

[BAGAMIDOASS]

Agames are full of crap. In One hand crying like little b@itch to White trash master to save them. In one hand bragging What a @focken trash people.

[gearhead]

Excellent article! Not a word waisted, nor a concept missed!

This wolverine has got the right blue print!

Go Blue!

[Tiago]

Alexis Hancz is just another Clueless 'know-it-all cracker .