In late October, Ethiopian media outlets relayed several false and incendiary allegations against the International Crisis Group’s Senior Analyst for Ethiopia, William Davison, including that he works for the U.S. government and for the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, as well as that he aims to defame Ethiopia’s military. We wrote privately to both the Ethiopian Satellite Television and Radio Network (ESAT) and the Ethiopian Press Agency (EPA), asking for retractions of these stories. As neither ESAT nor EPA has responded to our letters, we are issuing this statement to correct the record.
For more than 25 years, Crisis Group has been among the world’s preeminent non-governmental organisations working to prevent and mitigate deadly conflict. To understand and analyse the dynamics and actors that may fuel conflict, we talk to all sides but represent none. We conduct our research and publish our analysis and recommendations in the open. Our single goal is to help all sides better understand how deadly conflict may be avoided or mitigated and take steps toward those ends.
Mr. Davison’s work on Ethiopia follows this path. As a leading expert on the deteriorating situation in northern Ethiopia, Mr. Davison has equally sought to understand how the government and non-state groups could reduce tensions and the violent impact such tensions have had on civilians. Allegations that Mr. Davison represents or works for any other interest are simply false.
The International Crisis Group remains firmly committed to working to end the war in northern Ethiopia as well as conflicts elsewhere in the country.
It is sad, the same pattern of allegations by the ESAT and all other government running dogs continues to be facilitated and entertained by the democratic world. The government has been effectively using fear, threats and accusations as weapon against the international interventions. This is the typical way of Issaias and thereby even Abiy. Any one whom they believe is opsing will be punished. If he is internal we know what measures but if it is international then it is about, freezing, intimidating, accusing, blackmailing, deportation, persona-non grata, etc. This is a system and we should disclose it, we should talk about it. This idiots should not take over the good world.
The crisis group is 110/% right& you are in the right direction. Cover up is dictators main purpose. Don’t intimidate or have doubts by the heartless especially by the blood sucker Eritrean dictators & the parasite of issais afewerki Ethiopian leader abiy Ahmed Ali . Time will tell the crisis group exposed the truth only the truth to lives