The
Eritrean Democratic movements should campaign vigorously to bring Isaias to the
International Criminal court
By
Petros Tesfagiorgis 01-19-21
On 4 November 2020 the Federal Government of
Ethiopia led by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed launched the war against the
regional government of Tigray.
It
is in such dark days that Isaias sent Eritrean solders to join the war in
Ethiopia and make them killers and looters? What is left of them they are
liable to be sued for a war crime?
Ethiopia
with 110 million population has enough manpower to run its wars.
Sending
huge number of Eritrean armies to war in Ethiopia if not an extermination of
the Eritrean youth what is it then?
Isaias
has an ulterior motive it is not only a revenge to settle old scores with TPLF
(Tigray), but he is also seizing the momentum to have the Eritrean army perish
in the deadly Ethiopian civil war. News started to come out of the deaths and
wounded of Eritrean soldiers. Also, there is news coming out that many
Eritreans troops are duped to join in the war and flee whenever they get the
chance.
Why
is Isaias sending Eritrean troops in Ethiopia’s Deadly civil war?
On
8 September 2001 Isaias arrested the top government officials and leaders of
the armed struggle (the G-15) in order to frustrate their demand to implement
the constitution and call for a general election. The demands were being
covered by the private newspapers and drew the attention of many people particularly
Students. The arrest was a coup d’état that killed any chance to establish a democratic
government elected by the people. Since then, he became an unchallenged despot
and ruled Eritrea with an iron fist without constitution, and rule of law. Isaias
plunged Eritrea into darkness.
However,
Isaias has never felt safe. His nightmare is that one day the people of Eritrea,
particularly the youth, will rise up and get rid of him. To secure his power he
chose a policy of repression and ruled the people by fear. Isaias closed the
only university in the country. The school leaving year 12
th
grade was
made to take place in isolated area called Sawa Military training camp where
academic freedom is denied. The students are subjected to indoctrination to internalize
the value of blind obedience to Isaias. Anyone who showed independent thinking
or dissention faces severe punishment like torture and solitary confinement.
For years ERI-TV the only one in Eritrea was engaged is sawing the seed of hate
demonizing TPLF and Tigray – bombarding the people of a threat of Weyane (TPLF)
invasion. The propaganda built the personality cult of Isaias asserting that it
is only Isaias that can save Eritrea. Thus, the regime turned the youth into
programmed robot to hate Tigreans and we see their abhorrent behaviour in
killing civilians and looting in Tigray.
The
behaviour of the Eritrean army is also reflected in the way they treated the Eritrean
refugees, their brothers and sisters, in Tigray. There are 96,000 Eritrean refugees
located in 4 camps in Tigray. The Eritrean army entered the refugee camps,
started killings, looting and kidnapped more than 8000 refugees and took them to
Eritrea. Their where about is not known. It is with the same mind-set that the
army carried out with impunity Isaias’s shoot to kill policy of any Eritrean
found crossing the border to Ethiopia or Sudan.
After the end of the war in 1991 we Eritreans dreamt
to build a prosperous society and live-in peace with ourselves, with Ethiopia
and the rest of our neighbours. Instead over the last 30 years we are
experiencing the mysterious evaporation of the dreams.
Nowadays
other than Eritreans there are voices who want to see Isaias go.
On 25 June 2020 there was virtual expert discussion on Eritrea
in the German Parliament, Bundestag. Among the 60 participants from 10
countries there were MPs from 3 German political parties. The expert speakers
reached a consensus that the regime has no wish to end the human rights
violations in Eritrea. They gave up on him. In conclusion Cooperation with the
wider Eritrean democratic movements was recommended.
However,
it is the Eritrean democratic movements that should play a leading role in
campaigning to end the brutal and destructive rule of Isaias.
The
International community who wishes the removal of Isaias need to hear the
strong voice and sense of mission of the democratic moments. We have to come up
with concrete initiatives and plan of action. The priority is to revive the UN
Inquiry commission plea to refer Isaias to the International Criminal Court (ICC)
for committing crime against humanity. This is the right thing to do. And it
will make a difference in many ways.
Once
we take the initiative those Governments who are taking up the issue of Eritrea’s
involvement in the Ethiopian civil war and Eritrean army entering the refugees’
camps would support the move to get rid of Isaias.
In
answer to Lord Alton’s question concerning the Eritrean refugees in Tigray.
We
are very concerned at reports that Eritrean troops have entered Ethiopian
refugee camps in Tigray and forced a number of refugees to return to Eritrea.
If proven, this would be a serious violation of International Humanitarian Law
(IHL). Alleged violations of IHL must be investigated to secure respect for IHL
and prevent future violations, including as necessary through international
criminal tribunals. “Let me highlight
On
the other hand, the involvement of Eritrea in the war is taken as a breach of
the African Union’s - non-interference in the internal affairs of member
countries. It is also taken as an invasion of Ethiopia by Eritrea. The argument
is just started.
The
action plan can be strategized to address the following.
To
plan advocacy campaign to persuade the UN and the international community to
honour the referral to ICC.
To
put pressure on UNHCR to find out the where about of the 8000 refugees
kidnapped from Tigray. And see the refugees in Tigray are protected and get
access to food supplies, water and health care. There is a terrible news that
Shimelba Camp is no safe area, food supplies is not coming, people are
collecting grasses boil them and eat to survive.
Asses the famine in Eritrea because of the
lockdown Also the border with Ethiopia areas where the people of Eritrea and
Ethiopia are trapped. The UNHCR and the Red Cross could find out about this.
Assess the famine in Eritrea because of the
lockdown. Also, the border with Ethiopia areas where the people of Eritrea and
Ethiopia are trapped. The UNHCR and the Red Cross could find out about this.