Why does anyone think that #Eritrea would be unhappy about the disarming of #TPLF?
The disarming of #TPLF will permit the physical demarcation of the #Ethiopia-#Eritrea border that should have taken place 20 years ago, and the satisfaction of the 2018 peace agreement between Abiy and Isaias. Why would #Eritrea perceive itself to be a loser in this?
#Eritrea may dislike the lifting of the terror designation on #TPLF. But the failure of TPLF’s war project means its future as a political party is bleak. Hard to see how it could ever again pose any meaningful threat to Eritrea’s national security.
The reality is that the peace will clear a pathway for Addis to the sea, increasing trade and creating wealth for #Eritrea, #Ethiopia and #Tigray — indeed, Tigray stands to become a bridge between two prosperous nations. There’s much to be gained by all.
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Many in the media, academia and policy circles are still frantically trying to resuscitate the genocide narrative. Meanwhile, peace is breaking out despite their best efforts to convince Ethiopians (and Eritreans) that they hate each other.
Horrific atrocities by all sides have taken place during the course of this war and under the gov’t that ruled for 27 years.
All these need to be recorded and the reconciled during the process of reconciliation.
@PDWilliamsGWU@Daniel_Hendo@IBalassi#TPLF has not had public support for decades. It was kept in power and owes its military strength to the financial backing of the West, which needed authoritarian support for their war on terrorism in #Somalia. Ethiopia’s current war is a hangover from that disastrous policy.
@PDWilliamsGWU@Daniel_Hendo@IBalassi The dismantling of the US counterterrorism strategy - and the endless stream of money it provided to authoritarian govts across E Africa - will have tremendous ripple effects and hopefully lead to some actual democratic governance. But there will be a lot of pain in the recovery.
@PDWilliamsGWU@Daniel_Hendo@IBalassi Nondemocratic leaders not only in #Ethiopia but #Uganda were allowed to amass disproportionate military powers because it served US interests. Neither country can sustain their large presence in #Somalia without US$$$. That was the whole point of US policy in HOA for decades! 🙄
The list of TPLF atrocities stretches back 30 years—through the prisons, Ogaden, Oromia, Amhara, Somalia. National terror that TPLF could return to power is THE driving force behind this war.
The idea that #TPLF came into this conflict with clean hands is deeply offensive to the #Ethiopia people who lost their loved ones to state-sponsored violence under the old regime.
Foreigners do not have the right to whitewash, forgive or forget those atrocities.
If the international community wants to play a useful role in resolving this war, they need to understand that it started back in 2005… or far earlier. In #Wolkait, it was the early 1990s. In #Eritrea, it was 1998.
Foremost: I was struck by what a calm, sensible and unbiased group of professionals this is. Reassuring to hear the focus on successful aid delivery & the commitment to being data driven in all comments to media. 1/
Second, while the audio does mention one specific media story - on federal raids of safe houses - that appeared to be false, most of the emphasis was on the fact that evidence of rape being used as a weapon of war is not available YET. 2/
The audio also made clear the opinion of some staff that the int’l media has sensationalized the rapes occurring in #Tigray and has advanced a narrative of rape being used as a weapon of war that is not YET supported by evidence. 3/