The brutal regimes in Ethiopia and Eritrea have started fresh indiscriminate aerial bombings and use of dirty bombs (phosphorus and cluster bombs) aimed at the rural civilian population. The brutality has no parallel in wars that have been seen elsewhere in several years. We call upon the United Nations Security Council, the US government, European Union, and the African Union to stop this war of extermination using all available possible means

The war of annihilation is still going on without respite. According to some international observers and members of the current provisional administrator’s report, over 50 thousand unarmed youth, elders, women, and children have lost their lives in this war of attrition. People all over the world have been shocked by the brutality of the war on their television screens. Words simply cannot express the agony of women gang raped by Amhara militias, Ethiopian and Eritrean soldiers.

We would like to bring to your attention the renewed pogrom by Amhara militias. The Federal Army assisted by the Eritrean brutal forces are forcing ethnic Tigrians from their villages and driving them to wilderness. According to Reuters News that has been able to write a story on the subject, about 200,000 Tigrayans have been forced to leave their homes in the last few weeks alone. This is in addition to the 60,000 refugees that are now sheltered in Sudan. Government affiliated sources indicate over 130 billion Birr (33 billion dollars) worth of properties have been destroyed.

Although the US government and European Union unequivocally called for the withdrawal of the Eritrean Army and the Amhara Militia from Tigray, these belligerent forces have defied the calls and intensified their attacks on the people and are instead moving more troops from Eritrea.

Thus, it has become apparent that the unelected government of Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia and the brutal dictator of Eritrea must be personally held accountable for the crimes against humanity and genocide that they have unleashed on Tigray. It will be a grave mistake to allow any more time and expect the dictators to abide by the rules of the civilized world. The Biden administration through its Secretary of State and the special envoy including the European Union have asked the Abiy government to remove the Eritrean forces and the Amhara land grabbers from Tigray immediately and start a political dialogue to resolve their differences. So far, the Ethiopian and Eritrean dictators have refused to heed and implement any of the recommendations and what we see on the ground is the arrival of tens of thousands of Eritrean troops from Eritrea.

It is, therefore, imperative that that the following measures be taken immediately to stop the continuing tragedy:

1. Force the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Eritrean Army and the Amhara militia from Tigray. The withdrawal should be supervised and verified by independent observers.
2. Allow humanitarian access all over Tigray so that the over 4.5 million people who need food aid can be reached without any blockage or interference of the Eritrean and Ethiopian armies.
3. Stop the indiscriminate shelling and bombing of civilians by imposing “No Fly Zone” all over Tigray for the protection of the civilian populations in rural and urban areas
4. Reinstate the legitimate government of Tigray and start a dialogue that involves all parties. The provisional administration in Tigray that was appointed recently by PM Abiy is crumbling and cannot reach 80% of Tigray.
5. The immediate release of all political prisoners in Ethiopia including military personnel and UN Peacekeepers of Tigray origin (about 22,000) and more than 90,000 civilians who have been fired from their jobs and detained all over Ethiopia in military camps and prisons.
6. Recommend the investigation of all human rights violations to start immediately after the withdrawal of the Eritrean Army and Amhara militia by independent international team as these two forces cannot allow witnesses and victims to come forward and freely tell their stories without any fear and danger to their lives.
7. After the immediate withdrawal of the Eritrean and Amhara forces, immediately begin the safe passage and return of all the 2.2 million internally displaced people (scattered all over Tigray in squalid and congested conditions with high risk to COVI-19) to their ancestral lands, villages and towns before the rainy season comes with the assistance of the UN. This action will serve as a solution to the humanitarian disaster and robust precondition for the impartial UN-led human rights violations and war crimes investigation including for the healing process in Ethiopia.

Although, it is different in magnitude, purpose, and atrocity, the Abiy government has unleashed terror all over Ethiopia. Peace in Ethiopia demands that all political forces of the country indulge in constructive political dialogue for any prospect of peace and reconciliation in Ethiopia.

Respectfully,

Dr. Teka Neguse
SJTE Chairman
Tel: 443-537-3910, Email: [email protected]