Urgent Appeal to Stop War in the Horn of Africa
We, members of the Eritrean Research Institute for Policy and Strategy, (ERIPS), are a group of Eritrean professionals and Intellectuals in the Diaspora. We are organized on the basis of our specific fields of expertise and our cardinal aim is to engage in research that could guide and serve peace loving Eritreans in the process of transition towards democratic governance and institution building.
We are writing this urgent appeal, to bring to your attention the raging civil war in the Tigrai region of Ethiopia. This is essentially a war between the Federal Government of Ethiopia and the Regional Government of Tigrai. It should not involve Eritrea and Eritreans. This futile war, amidst the COVID 19 pandemic, between the Federal Government of Ethiopia and the Tigrai regional government, is covertly orchestrated and assisted by the self-appointed dictator of Eritrea, Isaias Afeworki. It is worth noting that sane leaders elsewhere are protecting their peoples from the consequences of the invisible killer, Corona Virus.
This senseless war has already involved the nation of Eritrea. There are reports that Eritrean troops attacked places in the border between Eritrea and Tigrai region of Ethiopia; and Missiles fired from the Tigrai region hit targets in Asmara the Capital city of Eritrea on November 14th, 2020. Other media reports (BBC, AFP) also indicated that the war already has caused significant casualties and displaced thousands.
We, therefore, vehemently condemn the war and any involvement of the Eritrean regime into the internal affairs of Ethiopia. The Isaias Afeworki Regime is known for instigating wars with neighboring countries (Sudan, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Yemen) since 1991. These wars have led to the unnecessary loss of Eritrean lives, which in the eyes of Isaias Afeworki, are expendable. The current war will inevitably devour the lives of Eritrean youth who are forcibly conscripted to the army, and Eritrean civilian population will equally face death, destruction and displacement.
We are also gravely worried about the fate of about 100, 000 Eritrean Refugees inside and outside camps in the Tigrai region of Ethiopia. This puts them in an imminent danger. Their livelihood depends on donations from UNHCR and other humanitarian organizations. The war is causing limitations on movement and access in the region; thus, putting the refugees at risk of hunger and displacement on top of the dangers of being in the crossfire of the war.
If the international community including the United States, European Union, United Nations and African Union do not intervene quickly to mediate, we believe the rapidly deteriorating situation will create humanitarian catastrophe of unimaginable proportions. The war will also spill over to other neighboring countries, further destabilizing the horn of Africa. We truly believe there is no justification for this war, and it is the Eritrean and Ethiopian people who will bear the brunt of the crises.
We, therefore, urge the speedy involvement of the United States, European Union, United Nations and African Union, in order to de-escalate the situation, quickly avert a humanitarian catastrophe, and eventually move the region towards peace and stability. We call for such undertakings to entail applying pressure to:
- All warring parties (the Federal Government of Ethiopia, the Tigrai Regional Government, and The Eritrean Regime) to cease-fire immediately.
- The Eritrean Regime and President Isaias Afewerki to stop interfering in the internal affairs of Ethiopia and to cease and desist any war footing.
- The Federal Government of Ethiopia to lift any blockade and allow the UNHCR and/or the Red Cross to have free access to the refugees and civilian population in the Tigrai region to avoid humanitarian crisis.
- The Federal Government of Ethiopia and its rival in the Tigrai region, to stop brinkmanship, by peacefully and amicably resolving their outstanding political dispute.
Eritrean Research Institute for Policy and Strategy (ERIPS)
[email protected]
November 17, 2020
Game is over !!!! Tplf is savage and in couple of day we will burry him. Long live ethiopa
That is the only reason why Africa is very poor due to many elites sabotaging the procesess towards good governance. Africa is extreamly poor because many selfish elites like you guys.
It is African obviouse History that poor Africans have been suffering from TPLF & their members like you guys. It is cruel to gain something at the cost of poor african!!! No moral!!! No shame!!!
It is not bad asking for the intervantion of international community, but some body has to understand the soverginity of country which will have potential effect for further stability, also one has to understand the way off intervention , by military, through supportive equipment, diplomacy or any other way which will facilitate stabilization, unless, for me with out understanding intrinsic cause of the war the total intervention will have potential negative problem of disturbance of both side even for Eritrea, accordingly i recommend that the international community has force both party through positive in for cement through the negotiation and helping through supplying humaniterial facility rather than total intervention.
I wish people would understand the consequences of war, instead of encouraging it we should demand our leaders to prioritise discussions to do their best to come up with a peaceful solution. War is costly , the price of human life is never worth it ! Everytime we think about it ,we should first think about the childrens , the elderly, the women,the civilians who didn’t ask for any of it . So it’s with all my heart I agree with this column and we should all demand our leaders to de-escalate and prioritize peaceful solutions ! God bless the world !
You missed the rute cause for initiation of this war. I wander the patiency of Ethiopian gov.t and the Nobel peace prize Dr. Abiy Ahhmed for trying to solve peacefully for the last 2 and half years. More than a thousand of ethiopian troops were killed by the junta tplf while they were kipping their people. Sad to hear this and this is the reason for the beginning of the war.
Anyways I consider negotiation with tplf as similar as making negotiation like ISIS and other terrorists. We Ethiopians are enough to destroy this terrorized group no need of the interventions of others including Isayasi Afeworki.
I wish people would understand the consequences of war. There is no winner in war. I am really surprised to see some people encouragingraging instead of calling for dialogs and descalation of the war. I grow up around the border of Ethiopia and Eritrea and I knew how the Ethio-Eritriea war was horrifying people. War is hell, Hope the leaders prioritize peace and stop the war by any means.
You didnt know the true identity of tplf. They consider war as a festival game! War stops with the need of both sides! The tplf junta needs negotiation when they realized they will destroy soon! They refused many mediations before.
Unless we desteoy this terrorized group there will no peace in the Horn of Africa!!
All we need is a peace. Mr Abiy, stop your fake propaganda and resign peacefully. Let the people of Ethiopia be free from your dictatorial rule. How many lives are we supposed to loose just to let you stay on power?#AbiyMustGo
#OromoProtests
#StopWarOnTigrai
Peace creates winners and preserves lives while war can only create losers and I stand for peace