By Tibebe Samuel Ferenji
Terrorism is defined as a violent means aimed at triggering political change by affecting a larger audience than its immediate target. What took place in Ethiopia on November 4, 2020, was a terrorist attack by the Tigray People Liberation Front (TPLF) against the Ethiopian Defense Force Northern Command (EDFNC). The TPLF is not new for acts of terrorism; it has been listed with the US State Department as a terrorist organization. As a rebel force in the 1970s and 1980s, the TPLF targeted civilians. It engaged in mass killings and bombing civilian targets including convoys that carried food and support for Tigrayan civilians.
As a government of Ethiopia, the TPLF ruled the nation with an “Iron Fist” and engaged in state-sponsored terrorism. TPLF’s crime against humanity and brutality is too many to list here; however, it is important to highlight some of its terrorist acts. As soon as it took power, it used government media outlets to incite violence against the Amhara ethnic group. As a result, many Amharas were killed and displaced. Oromos, Wolaytas, Gambelas, and other groups also killed in mass by the TPLF security forces.
As if this was not enough, the TPLF bombed vehicles and hotels in various cities. Among the notables are some of the bombings in Addis Ababa. On May 20, 2008 the TPLF security agents bombed a taxi-minibus that was transporting passengers in Addis Ababa and blamed the OLF for it. This brutal action was leaked by WikiLeaks years later. Six passengers were killed and about seven passengers were hurt in this incident. The TPLF used this blast as a pretext to hunt down Oromos who reflected opposing views from that of the TPLF. Its agents carried out many bombings including the bombing of the Tigray hotel in Addis Ababa. These bombings were used to arrest, torture, and kill opposition party members and anti-TPLF activists.
This brutal organization terrorized the Ethiopian people for more than thirty years as a rebel force and as a government. Many political prisoners were tortured in a brutal manner; its agents tortured many male prisoners by hanging 20-ounce bottle water on their genitalia; they gang-raped and videotaped female prisoners. They forced female prisoners to have sexual intercourse with other female prisoners and videotaped it to use it later to blackmail political dissidents. These brutes sodomized prisoners with a broomstick and murdered countless innocent citizens. The brutality of the TPLF is well documented by the US State Department. What is tragic and hypocritical for the western governments is they supported TPLF’s “state-sponsored terrorism” with funds and by training its brutal police force. We did not hear then, what we are hearing now. Particularly the Amhara ethnic group was marginalized and there are credible allegations that the TPLF used injection to sterilize Amhara women. Those of us who were heartbroken by the brutality of the TPLF pleaded with the western governments to stop funding this terrorist organization to no avail. News outlets like CNN painted a rosy picture about the TPLF while the people of Ethiopia suffered under the brutality of the TPLF.
Terrorism is in the TPLF’s DNA; since its inception, the TPLF conducted its armed struggle by engaging in violent attacks against civilians. The organization did not want any other political organization to operate within Tigray; thus, it massacred the leaders of the Tigray Liberation Front (TLF), while they slept after the two organizations’ leaders, concluded their reconciliation meetings. It also killed and chased out of Tigray many members of the Ethiopian People Revolutionary Party (EPRP). The people of Tigray suffered enormously under the TPLF. Those who refused to support the TPLF was dealt with in brutal manners.
After 27 years in power and the killing of millions of innocent Ethiopians, the TPLF was ejected from power in April 2018, a new prime minister took power in Ethiopia. The new Prime Minister, Prime Minister, Dr. Abiy Ahmed, asked the people of Ethiopia to forgive the atrocities committed by the TPLF and its allies and want the country to move forward with the spirit of forgiveness. He took sweeping reform actions to lead the country on the right path. Such measures made it difficult for the TPLF leaders and their family members to loot the country’s meager resources. The TPLF thought it could make the new Prime Minister a stooge who will be subservient of the TPLF. Fortunately for Ethiopia, the TPLF was not ready for the rude awakening; the TPLF leaders began to realize that Abiy is not someone they can control. He outsmarted them and he was able to break from the trap that TPLF set for him. It was then, these brutes decided to flee to Mekele, to the capital of Tigray, and plot their next move to overthrow Abiy’s government.
The Ethiopian Federal Government was very patient and smart in dealing with these old-guards. He gave them multiple opportunities on multiple occasions to participate in a peaceful political process and to adhere to the constitution they themselves authored and ratified. Although many political actors, including some Tigrayan activists, demanded Dr. Abiy to take action against the TPLF leaders, he was patient. Instead of military action, he chose reconciliation. He sent elders on multiple occasions pleadings with the TPLF leaders to engage in a peaceful political process within the Ethiopian Constitution framework. They refused.
Instead of peaceful engagement, the TPLF chose to engage in a proxy war; it provided arms and funds to various rebel groups and orchestrated the massacre of innocent Amharas, Oromos, and other ethnic groups. To make matters worse, the TPLF made enormous efforts to create religious conflict in Ethiopia. The forces that the TPLF trained burned Orthodox Christian Churches and Mosques. Its effort failed because the people of Ethiopia have been well aware of how the TPLF operates. With all these atrocities, the federal government was very patient.
The TPLF used its media to undermine the federal government; it engaged in propaganda to exacerbate the division it sowed for more than thirty years among various ethnic groups. It collaborated with Oromo extremist groups to attack innocent citizens and destroy properties. Its agents in the military gave comfort and aid to armed groups that terrorized Ethiopians in Oromo and Benishangul regions. Ethiopians suffered a great deal; millions have been displaced from various regions in multiple attacks orchestrated by the TPLF. Even then, the federal government made several attempts to resolve these difficult issues with the TPLF peacefully to no avail. For two years, the TPLF was preparing for war by amassing heavy weapons and training its special force.
On November 4, the TPLF crossed the “reddest line”. The EDFNC was attacked in the middle of the night. These are soldiers who protected the people of Tigray from an invasion and attack for more than 20 years. These soldiers engaged in the region beyond the call of duty. They contributed from their meager salary to build schools in Tigray; they helped farmers in Tigray plow their land and plant seeds. On November 4, 2020, the EDFNC soldiers were massacred while they were in bed in their barracks; killed by their own brothers in arms. Some were able to escape and go to Eritrea where they were cared for and assisted by Eritrean soldiers.
This was an act of terrorism; many doubted the story when the government announced that the TPLF attacked the EDFNC. However, it did not take long for the TPLF leaders to brag about their ill-conceived brutal action. They told us appearing on their own media how they have massacred the EDFNC soldiers in a speeding light. They claim it took the TPLF 45 minutes to “destroy” the EDFNC. The soldiers were killed in one of the most brutal and inhuman manners; the TPLF soldiers drove over Cino Truck’s over some of the soldiers while they were still alive. The TPLF did not only attack the EDFNC in various camps, it also pushed towards the Amhara region and engaged the Amhara Region Special forces in its attempt to invade the Amhara region.
These are the facts; there is a major dichotomy between what is on the ground and what is told by the news media that are fed lies by PR firms. The false narrative that the world is told, orchestrated by the TPLF hired guns and PR firms, are public relation ploys in a desperate attempt to seek the western governments’ intervention in this conflict and to save the TPLF from total disintegration. The US Senate Foreign Affairs Committee Resolution passed on March 25, 2020, on Ethiopia is an attempt to prescribe medicine without understanding the root cause of “the disease”. Such a resolution gives only aid and comfort to terrorists. The TPLF and its apologists never cared about the people of Tigray. They used the people of Tigray only to take power by any means necessary. The US officials need to stop listening to lobbyists and PR firms and make efforts to learn the truth. If the US is really interested in enhancing peace and stability in Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa, it needs to sanction those who are supporting the TPLF, a terrorist organization that has been responsible for the death and suffering of millions. No government in the world would tolerate the way the Ethiopian government tolerates the TPLF.
I know for certain, any responsible person in the Western World would not ask the US government to negotiate with the US Capitol rioters, domestic or foreign terrorists. The US and the rest of the western world have a strict policy not to negotiate with terrorists; if this is the case, why in the world the US demand Ethiopia to negotiate with a terrorist organization like the TPLF? In 2003, the then US President George W. Bush said about terrorists “You’ve got to be strong, not weak. The only way to deal with these people is to bring them to justice. You can’t talk to them. You can’t negotiate with them.” Negotiation with the likes of the TPLF would legitimize the terrorists and terrorism more broadly. Legitimizing terrorist groups and their actions would weaken the democratic quality of states and likely only serve to incite more violence. Is this what the United States wants in Ethiopia?
The US doesn’t negotiate with terrorists, why should Ethiopia?
World Autism Awareness Month
In connection with World Autism Awareness Month, that is celebrated in April Nia Foundation showcased paintings that are sketched by special needs children.
World Autism Awareness Day is an internationally recognized day on April 2 every year, encouraging Member States of the United Nations to take measures to raise awareness about people with autistic spectrum disorders including autism and Asperger syndrome throughout the world. World Autism Awareness Day, passed in council on 1 November 2007 and was adopted on 18 December 2007.
This resolution was passed and adopted without a vote in the UN General Assembly, mainly as a supplement to previous UN initiatives to improve human rights.
World Autism Day is one of only seven official health-specific UN Days. The day itself brings individual autism organizations together all around the world to aid in things like research, diagnoses, treatment, and acceptance for those with a developmental path affected by autism.
Addis Fine Art gallery showcases Ethiopian work at Art Dubai 2021
The 14th edition of Art Dubai recognized as the Middle East’s leading art fair for showcasing local, regional, and international artists is attracting art lovers in the UAE with an in-person fair ended on Saturday.
Among the participating galleries is Addis Fine Art gallery, which has set up a booth at the event for the fourth year.
The art hub, which is based in London and Addis Ababa, is exhibiting a group show of four artists from across Ethiopia Tadesse Mesfin, Addis Gezehagn, Tsedaye Makonnen and Tizta Berhanu.
Each of the artists is showcasing new works that explore and document humanity’s adaptability and resilient responses to moments of upheaval.
Gallery co-founder Rakeb Sile said that Art Dubai is one of her favorites.
“It’s the only fair where we get to see galleries from pretty much the global south. It’s a really diverse encounter. Other fairs that we do are not necessarily that diverse,” she said.
She believes that putting Ethiopian artists in “that conversation is also important, because it teaches us things that we wouldn’t have necessarily found out just by doing a Western fair.”
Sile launched Addis Fine Art gallery with Mesai Haileleul as a “passion project.”
“It was like, ‘we know this is amazing; why doesn’t the rest of the world know about any of these artists?’” she said.
Haileleul elaborated on his partner’s words, saying that the art scene in Addis Ababa has “incredible talent.”
“Obviously a lot of people might not be familiar with it. We do not have a lot of galleries there that function and work like Addis Fine Art gallery because it is very difficult,” he said.
“For that reason, artists do not get the representation they badly need. But it’s not for lack of talent. We are there to change that; we are there to help with that.”
(Arab News)
ELIMINATING NTDs
Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a diverse group of tropical infections which are common in low-income populations in developing regions of Africa, Asia, and the Americas. They are caused by a variety of pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, protozoa and parasitic worms (helminths). “Neglected”, is often the term used because they generally afflict the world’s poor and historically have not received as much attention as other diseases, such as the big three infectious diseases (HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria), which generally receive greater treatment and research funding.
Changing this narrative however is The END (Ending Neglected Diseases) Fund which is a private philanthropic initiative aimed at controlling and eliminating NTDs that debilitate, blind, disfigure, and cause early death to over 1.5 billion of the world’s poorest people.
One of the leaders spearheading this initiative is Sam Mayer who is the Vice President, Public Affairs at the END Fund. He is responsible for the organization’s global external engagement, including advocacy and communications that advance the neglected tropical disease (NTD) platform and attract additional resources and attention to the NTD sector.
Sam leads the END Fund’s efforts to mobilize a growing ecosystem of NTD champions across governments, the pharmaceutical industry, and a coalition of other cultural, private sector, and community-based organizations.
Previously, Sam was Executive Director, International Programs at the M∙A∙C AIDS Fund where he oversaw a grant portfolio that supported 130 HIV/AIDS service organizations across 50 countries. There, he devised public private partnerships and strategic health programs that reached over 26 million people affected by or at risk of HIV/AIDS.
Prior to that, Sam led global fundraising efforts for a leading sport-for-development organization, Grassroot Soccer.
He was also previously Chief Operating Officer for Millennium Promise, and Global Operations Manager at the Clinton Health Access Initiative where he helped establish the organization’s health financing division.
Sam currently serves on the board of the National Jazz Museum in Harlem. He holds a Master’s degree in Development Economics from the University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies, and a BA in Economics from the University of Strathclyde in his native Scotland. Sam lives in New York with his wife and two children, and enjoys competing in triathlons and marathons. Capital got hold of Sam for detailed insights of the END Funds programs. Excerpts;
Capital: How was the END Fund founded, and what is its primary mission?
Sam Mayer: In 2006, the Legatum Foundation, a founding investor of the END Fund, funded NTD programs in Rwanda and Burundi. Over the span of four years, they supported the treatment of more than eight million people for diseases like intestinal worms, schistosomiasis, and lymphatic filariasis at a small cost. Their intervention demonstrated the feasibility of quickly scaling up NTD programs to a national level. It helped generate the evidence and enthusiasm for creating the END Fund as a philanthropic platform to engage others in ending neglected diseases. Since our founding in 2012, the END Fund has continued to work to ensure that people at risk of neglected tropical diseases in over 30 countries can live healthy and prosperous lives. NTDs are a group of parasitic, bacterial, and viral infections that affect 1 in 5 people globally, leaving them trapped in a cycle of poverty, sickness and suffering. They include diseases such as intestinal worms, schistosomiasis (bilharzia) and trachoma amongst others.
Capital: Describe the new innovative initiatives that The END Fund is deploying to accelerate progress towards elimination of intestinal worms in order to ensure promotion of better health.
Sam Mayer: In support of particularly progressive policy environments, the END Fund supports its government partners by leveraging the power of collaborative philanthropy to build cross-sector partnerships, deepen expertise, and promote a more strategic approach for NTD investment in endemic countries. We work towards elimination of NTDs and health promotion by supporting mass drug administration (MDA) campaigns and advances in health system strengthening through vehicles like our Deworming Innovation Fund. This initiative was established to accelerate progress towards the elimination of schistosomiasis and intestinal worms in Ethiopia, Rwanda, Kenya, and Zimbabwe. Progress is achieved through investing in innovative approaches to treatment, prevention, and financial sustainability. The END Fund increases reach to expanded at-risk populations through generous donations from pharmaceutical companies. We believe in this model of philanthropy because it directly supports host governments and communities who take the lead role in planning, implementing, and assessing local drug delivery strategy with community drug distributors driving strong social mobilisation and service delivery. We recently commissioned a study by the Economist Intelligence Unit to measure the high social and economic returns of investments in NTD treatment and control. The study revealed that $3.2 billion in productivity gains can be achieved from the elimination of soil-transmitted helminths and schistosomiasis in Ethiopia.
Capital: What are the current statistics of people affected by intestinal worms across the world and in the countries where the END Fund operates? What is the END Fund’s strategic plan to bring these numbers down?
Sam Mayer: Intestinal worms affect more than 1.5 billion people, and 40% of the global burden is found in Africa. The END Fund currently works in more than 25 countries, with the highest NTD burden being in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, and Ethiopia. Our strategic framework until 2030 is aligned with the World Health Organization (WHO) 2030 NTD Roadmap that seeks to ensure that 90% of people suffering from an NTD receive treatment. The END Fund has supported the delivery of over 140 million treatments annually for the last five years, and we are committed to growing the scale at which we support service delivery over the coming decade, ensuring that hundreds of millions more can live lives free from the burden of NTDs.
Capital: Can you give us an insight on the progress of the “Reaching the Last Mile Fund (RLMF)” since its initiation?
Sam Mayer: The Reaching the Last Mile Fund (RLMF) is a ten-year, multi-donor fund dedicated to the elimination of river blindness and lymphatic filariasis. The RLMF is initiated by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, in collaboration with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with additional support from a diverse group of philanthropic, corporate and government funders. Since 2018, RLMF has distributed more than 28 million treatments, trained over 435,000 health care workers, and conducted more than 900 surgeries.
Capital: The END Fund has been committed to ending neglected tropical diseases around the globe. How is it raising local and global awareness about these neglected diseases?
Sam Mayer: Despite the well documented effects of NTDs on economic productivity and on the health and wellbeing of communities, these diseases have struggled to garner sufficient political prioritization and remain largely under-addressed. The END Fund engages in both local and global advocacy on behalf of the NTD community by explicitly advocating for public and private funding to tackle these preventable diseases. Our local advocacy includes engaging with governments and NGO implementing partners to assess country needs and coordinate effective program delivery. We complement this by forging strategic partnerships with credible, committed, and effective NTD champions to elevate the NTD platform and reinforce the benefits of effective interventions. For example, in 2019 we partnered with Nigerian national footballer, William Troost-Ekong, to deliver a multimedia public service announcement with support from the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Health that leveraged the timing of Nigeria’s progress in the Africa Cup of Nations and effectively improved knowledge and attitudes towards NTD programs ahead of government-led mass drug administration programs. More recently, in partnership with the Global First Ladies Alliance, we created a program to recruit local champions, including African First Ladies that can advocate for country-led programs through resource mobilization, political support, and garnering public demand for NTD programs. The END Fund’s communications and storytelling initiatives center and elevate the voices and needs of impacted communities. With national voices at the forefront, we can support targeted dissemination strategies to educate audiences, inspiring and mobilizing the communities that we serve.
