Photo: Ethiopians and Eritreans in diaspora rallied in support of their governments at San Francisco City Hall, March 27, 2021.
In 2019, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for ending the long-running conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea, but the US and its longstanding ally, the Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), have not supported the peace. Ethiopians and Eritreans from all over Northern California rallied for peace and the sovereignty and self-determination of their home countries on March 26, 2021, in San Francisco, first on its Embarcadero Plaza waterfront and then at City Hall. I reported the story on Pacifica/KPFA’s Evening News. My particular concern, as a US citizen, was that all the reporting about alleged genocide in Tigray has started to sound like that which preceded the US/NATO destruction of Libya and the outset of the ongoing US bombing campaign in Syria. This was one of many such rallies held by Ethiopian and Eritrean communities in diaspora, and this is their press release. -Ann Garrison
We are Ethiopian Americans, Ethiopians, and friends of Ethiopia, including our Eritrean sisters and brothers. Today we are marching to bring awareness to the current situation in Ethiopia and the current US Administration’s antagonistic position towards Ethiopia.
Ethiopia achieved freedom with a lot of sacrifices three years ago from Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), a group that ruled the country with an iron fist for more than 27 years. Since TPLF’s ousting, Ethiopia has been undertaking a number of reforms and paving a path to democratic governance. To disrupt this trajectory, TPLF has been sabotaging the country’s progress. The straw that broke the camel’s back happened when:
1. TPLF organized a well-equipped militia and special forces of over two hundred thousand strong and, on the night of November 4th, attacked the Northern Military Command of Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) and massacred, imprisoned, and drove government troops out of the region. Any nation in the world would consider this a treasonous and heinous crime, as Ethiopia does.
2. TPLF militia also massacred over 700 civilians targeting ethnic Amharas in the town of Mai-Kadra on the night of November 9th., as was documented by Amnesty International.
3. TPLF also fired rockets to civilian populated cities in Ethiopia and Eritrea with the intention of regionalizing the war, harming civilians, and destroying infrastructure.
4. Remnants of TPLF’s defeated militia are today terrorizing citizens, interfering in aid distribution and damaging infrastructure.
The Federal Government of Ethiopia has been undertaking Law Enforcement Operations in the Tigray region of Ethiopia to bring the perpetrators of this treason to justice and bring peace and stability to the region.
We urge the United Nation, the US Government, the Biden Administration, the European Union, and all the peace-loving people of the world to join us by supporting the Ethiopian Government in its duty to enforce law and order and protect peace in its territory. Please be part of the solution by condemning the TPLF treason, asking the US to stop interfering in the internal affairs of Ethiopia, and supporting the Ethiopian government in its effort to bring peace and stability in the Tigray region.
CONCERNED CITIZENS, ETHIOPIANS AND ERITREANS
San Francisco, California March 26, 2021
