Thread by @GebremeskelGeb

1/n

THREAD: "We are almost dead bodies!"

What a heart-wrenching💔 expression from one of my contacts in #WesternTigray!

I saw the following picture going viral on Facebook. I was curious to know more & contacted the very person who posted it.

2/n

"A translation to his post: "Those who are in this picture are Tigrayans whom the Ethiopian govt announced about saying they are PoW. One of them [the one pointed out with an arrow] is a person whom I know very well. He's detained at Milabferes, Adigoshu, [Western Tigray]."

3/n

" His name is Muley & he is originally from Selekleka, [North_Western Tigray] and now they are parading him [who is a civilian] as a prisoner of war. They are torturing our civilian people."

4/n

My question to him: "Hi my brother, do you know Muley very well? Was he a civilian or a fighter? How about the others, do you know them?"

He was very humble and honest. He answered, "Yes, I know him very well. He was my neighbour."

5/n

I asked: "Where was he living? Did they detain & take him from Adigoshu? When did they detain him? Can you guess the month? Which detention camp is he now at? At Awash Arba?

He replied, "I don't know whether they have transported him to ..."

6/n

"... Awash Arba [concentration camp] or not. But I know that they [Amhara Forces] ordered him to join them [when he was at Adigoshu] & fight against the TDF."

7/n

"He rejected their order and then they detained him. I don't know where they took him and where he is now at. But I saw him today in the picture posted by an Ethiopian media under the title, 'these are prisoners of war & were captured by the Shewa Amhara Fano'."

8/n

For your information, Adigoshu is currently occupied by the joint Eritrean troops, Amhara Fano & Amhara Special Forces. A week ago, 100s of innocent #Tigrayans residents of the town have been taken to an unknown concentration camp.

9/n

Dozens among them were massacred by the Amhara Fano.

The int'l community has betrayed the people of #Tigray in general and the people of Western Tigray in particular.

10/n

How painful💔 it is to know that there is not a single int'l body that can investigate the concentration camps & massacres in Western Tigray?

Do not the lives of innocent #Tigrayans matter?

@antonioguterres @DrTedros @JosepBorrellF @Haavisto @RepGregoryMeeks @amnesty

11/n

A few days ago, one of my contacts in Western Tigray said, "Gerie, we've lost hope. Now, we are counting down the day we will be killed. Our days are counted..."

#StopTigrayGenocide

@nimaelbagir @ZekuZelalem @LABailey @ReutersAfrica @hrw @USAmbUN @AnnLinde @EUSR_Weber

n/n

"We don't have anyone to rescue us, no one; we are extremely traumatised: Right now my wife is begging me to stop talking with you. We're almost dead bodies."

All I could tell him & his wife was to have strong faith in God & persistently pray to Him.
Painful💔