If true, it would have been sensational. But it is not.
In reality Getachew Reda was explaining the pressure the Tigray Defence Forces had come about the way they behaved if – and if is the critical word – they took Addis Ababa.
Washington was not suggesting or encouraging the TDF to take Addis Ababa.
You can see his interview here.
Below is a translation of what Getachew said, with the article making the allegations below. Highlights added, otherwise verbatim.
Martin
The Superpowers, for instance, China, supports Abiy through various ways. On any platforms like the UN Security Council, when efforts are made to put sanctions on Abiy, they use their Veto power and protect him [on the pretext] that the internal affairs of countries shouldn’t be intruded into. It is [however] very difficult to understand what the position of the [US] America is.
The Americans say we will put sanctions and put pressure on both of you and bring you peace [negotiations]. They take the position that Abiy is a dangerous person who is taking [the country] into a path of destruction. They wait a bit and say if the TPLF enters Addis Ababa, there would be a blood bath.
It is unknown from where all these fables come from. One thing is, the position of China is clear; I can understand [it]. It is Americans who have [reservations] ‘if you enter Addis Ababa’. Some European Countries also raise similar things. But then internally [unofficially] they say, ‘if you enter Addis Ababa, rather than you being alone and a problem occurs, it is better if you gather a few [parties] and enter’.
Now, some of the concerns of America and co is laughable and also takes into account petty commodity calculations. America’s [call] of “don’t enter Addis Ababa” is impractical. There are those who fear that what is claimed that Abiy started – the movement of selling the country, selling off property, selling the country’s wealth on a cheap price – would [be made to] stop.
On the other hand, they don’t want what they call “reform”, it is unknown what it is, what they call the reform agenda to stop [or] reverse back. Since there is also many [bad] picture that’s painted on TPLF and we have shortcomings in selling ourselves, because of that, there are forces which worry, ‘if they [TPLF] enter [Addis Ababa] they will be, like before, people who say no to everything and won’t accept anything’.
You can’t say there is uniform thinking inside America. Among the different departments of America there are what they call firewalls. There may be ideas which one [department] promotes that is different from the other.
Ultimately, they come together over the establishment’s governing thought, over America’s national interest. Therefore, if we say, ‘what is America’s national interest in this region?’ – they have the desire for a stable Ethiopia. If Ethiopia disintegrates, Kenya will be destabilized. Because most [of the people] will flee to Kenya. Some are going to immigrate Somalia.
Some are going to immigrate to Europe. So [countries such as] Italy have concerns that if chaos occurs in this country, immigrants that come through the Mediterranean or other way will flood our country. Those such as Spain [fear], ‘if Tigray happens to secede, similar to our Catalan may spread’. All are [absorbed] in their own [concerns].
There are forces some of [which have ideas that] makes you laugh; others are even senseless; there are also some which have ideas that seem reasonable to some extent. Some of them tell you, ‘it should be in a way that preserves the territorial integrity so that Ethiopia may not disintegrate’. In another way, they tell you ‘solve it peacefully’. In another way, they say to you, ‘Abiy was a good person; it was the Eritreans that are causing him difficulties’.
There is no such thing. Who invited Eritrea? Eritrea won’t begin invasion on its own.
They came by invitation. They had full involvement in the actual crime, so we should see it in that level. If individuals are to be made accountable, first and foremost, Abiy should be the one for getting [Ethiopia’s] sovereignty violated. So those they call westerners are ones who have hodgepodge of ideas.
Now, when you think, ‘what is the desire of America?’, in my opinion, they don’t want TPLF to enter [Addis Ababa] and become the one omnipotent power.
Even if we tell them, ‘we don’t have to grab government power’, no one is believing us. But what do they want [from us]? ‘they want us to be the police or the guard that keep watch for Oromo and Amhara or Amhara and someone else not to fight each other so as Ethiopia may not disintegrate. We don’t want Oromo and Amhara or Oromo and someone else or Amhara and someone else to eat each other. We have the desire for everything to be concluded, for the continued interest of Tigray to be secured, in a manner in which the country remains stable.
[Tigray] wants its neighbors to continue in a stable manner.
Our people too have similar desire. Therefore we want to do our tasks in a manner which guarantees that. They want us to do guard’s duty for them in a cheap way. Some of them [when they] discuss with us say, ‘which ones should be [appointed] after Abiy’ and keep picking up individuals
- . Some of them make you sad. The person that told you, ‘don’t enter Addis Ababa’ come and say, ‘would you have reservations if it is this person and that person?’
So what I want to tell you is, you can’t say their pressure isn’t there on any of our activities. I mean, when Emirates is arming Abiy, their not stopping it even they could have done so, will have effect one way or another on our activities. They are releasing statements that say, ‘both of you have committed crimes’ to make sure there is equivalence on crimes committed, what you call bothsidesism. They [release statements] all parties are accountable. They know who is responsible for almost 100 percent of the crime; yet they say ‘both sides’. They say, ‘the sanction also includes TPLF’. On whom are they going to impose sanctions? What did we do [to get it]? Nothing is known [about that]. So if we have undertaken the recent movement [adjustment] because we heard the advice of these people [US & co], we have abandoned Tigray’s agenda.
This is dangerous. So even when you become pragmatic, America hasn’t done a dime of support. Well psychologically, they have given much support on diplomatic platforms that serves as encouragement for our society. The Americans did a lot in exposing the crimes committed on Tigray. So they should be thanked. But beyond that, politically, if I were to turn back just because those forces that are contributing to prolong, by days, weeks or a few months, the lifespan of the regime that ought to be removed, told me to turn back, what am I going to benefit from it?
If I turn back because a person, which doesn’t have a spec of contribution for the existence of the people of Tigray, advised me, ultimately, I have abandoned my purpose. Even some of the people who are very close to us think like that. They tell you, ‘you returned because they pointed it and said, ‘return now!’ [laughs]. It should be taken as a political decision that takes into account military necessity. Politically in the sense, the central command gives political decision. War is itself politics in the first place. So, ‘In which direction should we take it’? It is as I have said. Where can you hammer your enemy better? Is Debarik better? Or Debre Tabor? Or Wegel Tena? Or Semera? Where can you hammer it? This is the military logic.
The decision to make a pullback by taking into account this [military situation] is a political decision. Outside of that there is no such thing as America’s pressure or Italy’s pressure. Keeping [recognizing] the support they gave on the diplomatic [aspect] as it is, they themselves are confused and [don’t know] what they believe.
If you were to meet two representatives of America within two minutes, they have different positions. So America is a country which is in confusion regarding us. But on top of that, the defamation that was done on TPLF by the enemy and the shortcoming that’s prevalent in the manner in which we promote or market ourselves should be taken into account [and hence] it is clear that the whole world has concerns of ‘if TPLF enter [Addis Ababa], something [bad] may happen’. We admit that there are ideas of such level. These ideas will have an influence on our continuing diplomatic works: ‘What should be our next focus?’ ‘How can we do things that ease these guys?’ However, I don’t believe it has any meaningful [impact] on our military works. And it doesn’t.
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