Mekelle: 31 December 2023 (Tigray Herald)
This is a rehearsal for a second phase of genocide.
By Medhane Tadese
As anticipated, the Abiy Famine has pushed Tigray to the edge of calamity, and unfortunately it is much more than that. The famine is not only largely manufactured by him, he also insists it is pushed to its intended conclusion, the death of hundreds of thousands. Contributing factors aside the situation has been turned into a famine by a deliberate use of several policy instruments before and after the Pretoria Agreement. It is the principal aspect of ‘the war after the war’. The Abiy Famine is an artificial famine, a deliberate act of genocide, organized on a vast scale by an immoral regime meant to destroy Tigray, generate large flows of refugees and great human suffering, shrank the population, and break the spirit of the rest.
This explains the reason why the administration is sabotaging domestic fund-raising efforts including a state media campaign with very ominous tone. Read this as a rehearsal for a second phase of genocide. In such a scenario the normal way of assisting Tigray is like mission impossible. This act of brutality is being concealed to slow down international aid. And unlike other famines, pledges and donations are not as important as forcing Abiy from fully operationalizing his artificial famine. The setting is unprecedented and worse than what the international community and humanitarian agencies would be able to comprehend. Abiy wants to be fed by the world while denying food to others. This requires a new form, if not new norm, of humanitarian doctrine.
Pressident Getachew Reda announced the deteriorating famine crisis in Tigray, drawing parallels with the tragic 1985 famine, that took 1.2 million lives (predominantly in present-day Tigray and Amhara regions)
Getachew also calls upon the federal government and international donors to step in and assist in alleviating the crisis. His call emphasizes the urgency of collaborative efforts to address the escalating situation.
However, Federal government spokesperson Legesse Tullu dismisses Getachew’s claim today, stating, “comparing the current crisis with that of 1985 is unacceptable.” Legesse’s approach of downplaying a crisis that is claiming numerous lives raises concerns about the government’s commitment to alleviating the situation.
