Thread by @AlemayehuGK

Thread

The War That Should Never Have Been Fought

I need to get these thoughts off my chest. We now find ourselves in a war that should have never happened. War is ugly. War puts innocent people in danger. War is distractive. Most people know that.

Nobody needs to be lectured on how bad war is, particularly Ethiopians. You know who said no to war? Kinijit/CUD and Hibret/UEDF in 2005 when facing #TPLF-led EPRDF for an election.

You know who said no to war? Peaceful protesters who were met by live bullets on their heads and backs, in the aftermath of the bloody 2005 elections, which TPLF-led EPRDF rigged. You know who said no to war?

Journalists, bloggers, activists and politicians alike who chose to peacefully engage a TPLF-led government for years. You know who said no to war? So many ordinary people who were against Ginbot 7/OLF/ONLF way of opposing a TPLF-led government. You know who said no to war?

Protesters who crossed their arms over their heads and demanded change. You know who said no to war? An entire nation in 2018 by giving a vicious government another chance when a TPLF-led EPRDF said “it has reformed itself.”

The point being, TPLF has a history of choosing force over peace, even when it was given plenty of time and option to choose otherwise. And now, TPLF, by its own admission, started this war. Which means TPLF chose war, and it has gotten one.

Abiy Ahmed has many problems; God knows how many times I have criticized him as far as calling for his resignation, if he can’t put an end to the senseless killings of innocent civilians that have been going on for the last few years.

But for starting the war in Tigray, Abiy cannot be held responsible. Some people with good intentions need to stop their ridiculous and Trumpian “there are bad people on both sides” arguments. This is TPLF’s war. Period.

One must ask the question, why did TPLF leadership choose to hide in #Mekele a little after losing power in the federal government? If they thought Abiy will go after them, they could have left the country. Why did they choose to gather in Mekele?

Did they really miss #Tigray – a place they barely payed attention to for 27 years - that much? Or one must wonder, they were indeed preparing for this day?

When TPLF forces attacked the Northern Command, abducting, killing high ranking military officials, and stealing heavy weaponry belonging to our National Defense Force, what exactly did they have in mind?

If there was no forceful response from the federal government, TPLF forces would have been trying to march all the way to #Addis. You can believe that. And that needed to be avoided.

Having said all of that, the multiple reports we have been hearing about Tigarus being ethnically profiled is alarming and we all must condemn it. No ifs and buts about it.

Let there be no doubt though, TPLF by choosing force is putting, primarily the people of Tigray, but also the whole of #Ethiopia, and now the horn of #Africa, in danger as this war continues. Peaceful means should always be encouraged. War should always be last resort.

But sometimes that choice is not up to you. Your adversary could make that choice for you. I repeat, TPLF chose this war, when it could have avoided it by all means. But here we are.

Now TPLF is faced with a furious PM commanding his army, and millions behind him putting their political differences aside. In the words of Malcom X, “Sometimes you have to pick the gun up to put the gun down.”

At this point, It must be crystal clear to us, only TPLF can put an end to the misery so many civilians are going through. TPLF must take full responsible for this war.

There are some folks who are trying to justify TPLF's war by claiming we got here because the election was postponed. Election was postponed across Ethiopia. Many people disagreed with that decision, but only TPLF started war.

Let me quote Malcom X once again, "If you stick a knife in my back 9 inches and pull it out 6 inches, that's not progress. If you pull it all the way out, that's not progress...

...Progress is healing the wound that the blow made. They haven't pulled the knife out; they won't even admit that it's there." When the Northern Command was attacked, an entire nation was stabbed in the back.

Now we are all dealing with the consequences. So in order for this war to end, everyone should have the audacity to call on TPLF to disarm and surrender. There is no other way out of this mess. None.

- The End -