"Western Tigray" rights violations, a fabrication to support a political agenda

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ADDIS ABABA, DECEMBER 17, 2021 - Ethiopia's Ministry of Government Communication Service released a statement this evening regarding the recent disinformation campaign being waged on social media about "Western Tigray". It said the stories of "dead bodies in Western Tigray" are fabricated lies which may cause temporary blunders but said it cannot alter reality.

The Amnesty International and the Human Rights Watch, on December 16, accused Amhara security forces of "mass detentions, killings and forced expulsions of ethnic Tigrayans in the Western Tigray". 

“The new onslaught of abuses by Amhara forces against Tigrayan civilians remaining in several towns in Western Tigray should ring alarm bells,” said Joanne Mariner, Amnesty International’s Director of Crisis Response. 

The rights groups did not conduct their investigations on the ground in spite of Ethiopian government's call for international rights groups to do an investigation at the sites of conflicts. They carried out their interviews via phone calls which begs the question from whom they got the phone numbers and how did they verify the 'victim's claim'. This question will also apply to HRW's recent so-called investigation in Amhara which reported fewer number of mass killings committed by the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) at Chena and Kobo when the actual reported numbers from the ground were well above the right group claimed.

However, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch group have consistently failed to report on atrocities committed by the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) in Amhara and Afar where the conflict has been raging on for the past six months.

"Some Western Media organizations that work like spokespersons for the terrorist group, TPLF, and institutions that proclaim to work for human rights have turned a blind eye and a deaf ear towards atrocities committed by TPLF against defenseless innocent civilians in Maikadra, Galikoma, Chena, Agamsa, Wuchale, Ansokia, Gemza, Kombolcha and Gashena areas in Afar and Amhara regions", read the statement from Ethiopia's Government Communication Services. 

"Mass graves are being discovered in all areas that the terrorist TPLF has set foot in. Barbaric massacres and genocide have been committed in areas occupied by the terrorist group. However, the international media and those institutions that claim to work for human rights have chosen to turn a blind eye", added the statement. 

Recently, the statement read, a politically motivated fabrication claiming human rights violations in "Western Tigray" has been popping up in some international media as a supporting act to some meetings. 

"The fact that this fabricated charge that has the same content, the same form and the same expression has been released at the same time to media in diverse places is indicative of the fact that this is a politically motivated and coordinated fabrication. The Ethiopian government condemns this unprincipled and immoral act in the strongest terms possible.", said the government.

The government also said preemptively accusing others to cover up their crimes is not a new strategy for the terrorist group, TPLF. 

"It [TPLF] is still trying to blame others for the war it started by attacking the Northern Command. Dumping the dead bodies of its youth that have been killed on the battlefield into the Tekeze river and then turning around and making it look like they are innocent people massacred by others is the latest drama it has authored that has not attracted a large audience.", read the statement from the Ethiopian government.

The government said one of its key agendas is the human rights of its citizens.

It said an independent and strong institution has been formed since the national reform agenda was initiated to ensure these constitutionally recognized rights are fully implemented. This institution, in partnership with other international organizations, has been investigating alleged human rights violations. 

"Practical steps are being taken by its findings and recommendations. If human rights violations are found to have been committed, the Ethiopian government is committed to investigating them through its human rights institutions and handling them through its organs of justice." said the statement from the Ethiopian government.

"The reform path Ethiopia has started is human-centered and puts the utmost value on human rights. Therefore, since the protection of human rights is a core part of our prosperity journey, we would like to reiterate our commitment to steadfastly continue in the path we have started to our people and our friends.", concluded the statement.