The United States and its western allies had been putting immense pressure on Ethiopia over unsubstantiated genocide and “extensive human rights violation.” Stories coming from freed downs in the military campaigns this week reveal shocking massacres and gross human rights violation but the reaction from the west is rather silence
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Ethiopia on Tuesday accused some western countries and international organisations in connection with gross human rights violations committed by Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF forces).
A passionate condemnation or even condemnation of shocking atrocities by the TPLF force has been missing from some western countries and rights groups. Ethiopia sees it as “Double Standard.”
“Failure of some western countries & International Organisations to look into the massive human rights violations & atrocities committed by TPLF in Afar & Amhara regions reveals the politically motivated & double standard position towards current human rights issues in Ethiopia,“ said Billene Seyoum, press Secretary in the office of the Prime Minister.
The office of the prime minister described the magnitude of the destruction by TPLF forces in the areas they controlled and were dislodged from as “overwhelming amount of destruction.”
Private and public property were targeted in the destruction campaign. Social service providing institutions including schools and hospitals were the main targets. Financial institutions were looted and vandalised. Communication infrastructures were not spared.
Apart from the destruction of properties, TPLF forces killed thousands of civilians and raped unspecified number of women, young and elderly including nuns.
In early July 2021, TPLF forces launched an extensive military campaign in the Afar and Amhara regions of Ethiopia by rejecting a unilateral humanitarian ceasefire as a “joke.”
According to the briefing from the Office of the Prime Minister, over 1.4 million people were displaced from Amhara region and 1.3 million people from Afar region. The number of people facing a famine like situation in the areas that were under the control of TPLF in the Amhara region is estimated to be well over four million, according to authorities in the region.
The group, which the Ethiopian parliament designated as a terrorist organization in May 2021, carried out multiples of massacres targeting civilians in both regions. However, there were more massacres in the Amhara region as the TPLF vowed to “settle scores” on Amhara.
TPLF force have been claiming genocide in the Tigray region of Ethiopia by Ethiopian forces. However, a joint investigation by the UN High Commission for Human Rights and Ethiopian Human Rights Commission established that there was no genocide in the Tigray region.
In the past two week, the TPLF forced major defeats in many battle fronts in the Afar and Amhara region as the Ethiopian government changed gear from defensive to offensive mode.
As many towns are freed from TPLF forces, more stories of atrocities, massacres and destruction of properties are emerging. The level of social crisis is expected to be worsening as displaced people slowly return to their homes.
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