Bullying Ethiopia into “Failed Statehood”: A Dangerous, but Futile, Adventure

“…there may be real and potential “failed” states in Africa, and elsewhere. Ethiopia will not be one—by its sheer power of enduring gallantry, fierce independence, unshakeable faith—and the Grace of God,” TQS

Map of Ethiopia and the region (google)

The Queen of Sheba

January 30, 2021

Since the conflict in Tigray broke out some three months ago, a globally orchestrated assault on Ethiopia has escalated at unprecedented scale. And yet, what triggered the conflict was beyond any doubt—as explicitly acknowledged by both victorious and vanquished forces alike.

The Ethiopian Federal Forces of the Northern Command were callously and cowardly massacred by TPLF cabal forces—while in their sleep. The Government, like any other in the world should do, first contained the attack, reorganized its bloodied forces and repulsed—and crashed—the putsch in one of the shortest such military actions in the world.

The Ethiopian government decisively crashed the mutiny with such bravery and efficiency that it has garnered respect and recognition from all those who know, abundantly well, the bloated TPLF forces and their incessant bravado of fake glory, the unbearably treacherous terrain of the region, and their wicked cruelty.

While the government decisively won on the battlefield and commendably guaranteed the integrity of the country, it has however not matched the orchestrated assault largely fanned in the cyberspace, as I observed in “Victory in the Battlefield, Defeat in the Cyberspace: Ethiopia’s Agonizing Reality”.

One should pose a pertinent question. What would have been the outcome of the conflict had the TPLF cabal succeeded, even barely, in its mutinous—and “thunderous”—insurrection? One need not be an arm-chair analyst or a student of political science or a conflict entrepreneur to intimate plausible scenarios.

Without too much into it, the army would split into different groups along ethnic lines fighting against each other for dominance. The distended special forces and militias of the respective regions would embolden into action to seize disputed areas, in the process triggering a civil war. Occasional ethnic and religious conflicts, whose ominous signs are already evident, would have simply engulfed the whole country. This would then open the flood gates of killings, sufferings, internal displacement and migration to neighboring countries—and beyond—in the scale Africa may have never seen before.

Oh, yes Ethiopia, the towering anchor of the Horn, which shares borders with more than half-a-dozen states, claims over 115 million people. To put things in perspective, this would be South Africa, Kenya, Eritrea, Djibouti, Mauritius, Namibia, and Lesotho all put together!

Let me provide a recent unfortunate account. The assassination of a popular Oromo singer in July last year, triggered an instant craze of mass killings of civilians and wanton destruction of property—in just a few hours. The attacks, which killed over 160 and wounded and maimed several hundred more, had both an ethnic and religious slant. Only the federal army could quell the scary uprising that nearly ripped the country apart.

The world must celebrate the demise of the cabal force, and express gratitude to the Ethiopian government for efficiently executing and quickly wrapping up major operations of the conflict with limited casualties and destruction.  Or else, it could have had to deal with millions and millions of Ethiopian refugees drowning neighboring states and more—creating havoc at a global scale.

Good riddance TPLF!

An Avalanche of Attack: Wither “International Community”

The European Union

One of the earliest critiques of the government—incredibly while it was still in the midst of putting down the putsch—is the European Union. The Union first threatened and then later announced the halting of funds due to Ethiopia.

Accordingly, it has “postponed almost 90 million euros in budget support payments to Ethiopia over the bloc’s concerns of the Tigray crisis”.

The United States

The United States came out forcefully denouncing the attack on the Federal Forces through its former Secretary of State. Similar remarks were expressed by former Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, though other contrary views from different power centers there were made.

There are however visible concerns that the new US government might put undue pressure on the government. Already the new Secretary of State and the new US Ambassador to the United Nations have thrown some unduly critical words—largely an outcome of distorted information orchestrated by cabal forces and their paid operatives.

The UNHCR

The UNHCR, the global feeder of faulty and fabricated story on the Tigray conflict, has played a sinister role in incriminating the Ethiopian government since the beginning of the conflict. Even after apologizing for its actions, the institution—which was a subject of two of my earlier articles, “Dispensing Culpability: UNHCR’s Glaring Double Standard” and “The UN: What is an Apology Worth After Inflicting a Massive Injury?”—has actually did not fully cease from attacking the government openly and covertly, which some observers attribute to disproportionate representation of cabal sympathizers in the organization.

The United Nations   

There were also reports that the UN was considering to call Ethiopia on the conflict in Tigray earlier on. This, according to some reports, never materialized on the objections of the Chinese government. My other piece “The Rude Outlaw: The UN Staff or the Ethiopian Army?” also attempted to highlight the situation.

And yet, this so called “international community” which enabled, propped up and financed the TPLF cabal during its nearly 30 years of brutal rein turned a blind eye when it massacred 400 men in Agnwak and 196 men, women and children in Addis Ababa; disgracefully stole elections in broad day light and declared 100 percent victory; violently suppressed any semblance of opposition; tortured, maimed and assassinated, declared and potential, political opponents; and more.

One could add the recent heinous crimes to this ugly list: the barbaric My-Kadra massacre of over a thousand civilians, virtually all Amharas, as established by Amnesty International as potential war crime; the crashing of surrendered soldiers with heavy trucks and slaughtering them as they fled; the slicing of throats and cutting of breasts of surrendered soldiers and civilians; the desecration of dead bodies of combatants and civilians; the destruction of roads, air fields, communication; the looting and raiding of schools, offices, hospitals and banks; and more.

The Misfortune of Hypocrisy: Washington vs. Tigray

It is truly tragic that facts are increasingly and brutally smothered by fiction, and truth by lies. Those who have big megaphones—and cry foul at their own sins and transgressions—get their way—big time. Ethiopia’s current situation is a case in point.

It is deeply disturbing, and dizzyingly worrying that such “credible” and “established” media outlets as the BBC, Reuters, Aljazeera, and New York Times are taken for a ride by infiltrated operatives and reckless and negligent reporters. In its latest blatant attack on Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed, the Washington Post wrote “FIFTEEN MONTHS ago, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for ending his country’s conflict with neighboring Eritrea. Now, he may be perpetrating grave crimes against humanity.”

When such a deserving leader is scrambling to contain an insurrection of colossal implications—with a potential to disintegrate the country and create massive havoc in the Horn and beyond—such an allegation is no more than a cheap shot. The hypocritical self-serving Western media which unanimously condemned the recent Washington insurrection—in the “strongest terms possible”—now willfully accuse Abiy for having done the same, for a much worse action.

A nota bene to those fiction writers and peddlers. Those Washington hooligan insurrectionists only attacked a “civilian” institution; the Tigray thugs cowardly attacked the “indomitable” armed forces—by slaughtering them in their sleeps. They must realize that, what is good for the goose is good for the gander. If Abiy was looking for a revenge and intended to “perpetrating grave crimes against humanity”, he need not unleash it on the humble Tigrayan civilians.

As a matter of fact, the action of the army and the government in handling—and looking after—its surrendered and captured combatants, as witnessed in massaging their fatigued bodies and washing their flimsy feet—is not only exemplary to the world, but is biblical.

In Conclusion

It is astounding that a government which has done so much in such a short period of time—while being challenged from multiple fronts, both internally and externally, is suddenly a subject of orchestrated attack largely for neutralizing a serious threat of the country, the Horn, Africa and the world as a whole. Those who in the past play-acted censuring, condemning, and even briefly sanctioning this mutinous cabal are suddenly in the folly of subverting it.

A government which deserves support and praise—is now facing a massive, orchestrated and unjust attack. This needs to be dealt with systematically and strategically— with the urgency it deserves.

Finally, there may be real and potential “failed” states in Africa, and elsewhere. Ethiopia will not be one—by its sheer power of enduring gallantry, fierce independence, unshakeable faith—and the Grace of God.

Adwa is my witness.

The Queen of Sheba may be reached at QueenOfSheba2020@outlook.com | @TheQueenofSheb5