Vision Ethiopia Press Release on the Tigray Conflict

Vision Ethiopia, a non-partisan association of Ethiopian scholars and professionals,  strongly condemns the recent attack by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) on the Northern Command of the Ethiopian National Defense Forces stationed in the  Tigray region. 

It is to be recalled that Vision Ethiopia similarly condemned the widely reported  massacre of innocent Amharas and Orthodox Christians in Gulisso, a district of Western  Wollega (Oromia region), by extremist OLF groups. 

Vision Ethiopia strongly believes that the government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has  full responsibility for the tragic events in Tigray, as well as for those crimes committed  against Amharas and Orthodox Christians in the Oromia and Benishangul-Gumuz  regions as well as Guraferda. The wide-scale genocide against Amharas and Orthodox  Christians is unabatedly continuing in many parts of Oromia, including Qelem, Jimma and Illubabor, even as we speak. As we repeatedly warned, this is a clear dereliction of  duty by the government to execute its responsibilities to protect the safety of its people  and maintain peace and order.  

Vision Ethiopia, while fully supportive of the mission of the Ethiopian National Defense  Forces to maintain peace and order in Tigray, strongly advises that the government of  Prime Minster Abiy Ahmed desist from using the occasion to distract attention from the horrible crimes that have been committed against Orthodox Christians and Amahars by  extremist groups in the Oromia and Benishangul-Gumuz regions.  

In particular, we call upon the government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed:

To continue the campaign against the renegade TPLF group, and swiftly bring to justice  the perpetrators of the contemptible violence against the Northern Command, while  protecting the safety of the brotherly people of Tigray. 

1. To apply the same yardstick to punish and bring to justice the perpetrators of  genocidal violence in Oromia and Benishangul-Gumuz regions, including  government officials and regional leaders associated with the crime 

2. Use this historic occasion to deracinate the root-cause of the problem, including  the pathological constitution imposed on the people of Ethiopia by TPLF, and  pave the way for a truly representative government. 

3. Unconditionally restore lands and property illegally usurped by TPLF from the  Amhara region. 

Lastly, we call upon all peace-loving people of Ethiopia to support the Ethiopian  Defense Forces, guard against extremist forces, and put pressure on the  government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to chart and implement a roadmap for a  truly representative government, where individual rights are protected, peace and  order are restored, and innocent citizens are not targeted based on their identities.

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Vision Ethiopia is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization incorporated in Washington, D.C. EIN 81-0729204.  http://visionethiopia.org. Email: VisionEthiopia@VisionEthiopia.org