Eritrean troops blow up Tigray despite withdrawal
WASHINGTON, USA – Eritrean troops have been linked to ongoing rape, torture and massacres in the Tigray region, reports suggest, despite persistent calls to withdraw them from the area, a step that could lead to further international sanctions, according to security experts.
The most affected people are women who are being raped and tortured, the AP noted, adding that humanitarian supplies in the region are still limited due to blockades imposed by the troops despite a call from the international community.
Despite carrying weapons to shoulder Tigray, it is clear that the Ethiopian government does not have the ability to maintain control and withdraw Eritrean troops. The Tigray region is completely hampered by Eritrean forces along with Amhara militias. They sometimes restrict the Ethiopian authorities’ access to the Tigray region, the AP added.
Last week, the State Department called the Tigray genocide an “ethnic cleansing” as the United States called for immediate withdrawal of Eritrean troops. Unfortunately, more evidence shows that their presence is growing and that they are invading further remote areas.
This week, the United States imposed sanctions on Ethiopian and Eritrean officials over the Tigray conflict, which the Addis government called “misleading” and “regrettable.” President Joe Biden asked Asmara to withdraw troops immediately when he demanded a ceasefire.
Two government-related sources told the Associated Press that Eritrea is responsible in parts of Tigray, and there are fears that it is directly about ethnic Amhara militias and completely bypasses federal authorities. Addis Ababa appears to be unable to control the situation, a source added.
“They’re still here,” said Abebe Gebrehiwot, a Tigrayan who serves as the federally appointed vice president of Tigray, and sounds frustrated in his office.
The continued presence of Eritrean soldiers “has brought more crisis to the region,” he warned. “The government is negotiating…. I am not satisfied.”
Ethiopia and Eritrea were deadly enemies for decades, with the then powerful rulers of the Tigray, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, taking leading roles in a divisive border conflict. That began to change in 2018 after Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed took office and made peace with Eritrea, for which he won the Nobel Peace Prize.
Abiy also marginalized the Tigrayan leaders, who fought back by questioning his authority. In early November, the Ethiopian government accused Tigrayan troops of attacking the federal government. Tigrayan leaders later fired rockets at the Eritrean capital Asmara, including some that appeared to be aimed at the airport there.
The Eritreans are acting on the basis of a deep-rooted enmity against Tigrayan leaders after the border war, even though the people share a similar culture, according to Berhane Kidanemariam, an Ethiopian diplomat and Tigrayan who resigned earlier this year in protest.
Eritrean long-term president Isaias Afwerki is seeking a buffer zone along the border to stop any attempt by Tigray’s now volatile leaders to make a comeback, especially by resuming its arsenal through Sudan, Berhane said.
It is estimated that thousands of Tigray people have been murdered by ENDF and Eritrean troops and claim to be striving for the Tigray People’s Liberation Front [TPLF] fighters. On the contrary, the troops appear to be targeting civilians in the region.
Abiy Ahmed, the Nobel Peace Prize winner for 2019, who is also the Ethiopian Prime Minister, has persistently promised to withdraw troops along with Amhara regional forces. Earlier this week, the Ethiopian government claimed that the TPLF had killed a number of ENDF troops.
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