Mekelle፡ 9 June 2024 (Tigray Herald)
June 7, 2024
VOA Horn of Africa
RE: The New Lines Institute Report and Lack of Coverage by VOA Horn of Africa
Dear Mr. Lippman, VOA Acting Director
As you might now, in June 2024, the New Lines Institute released a 121 pages report titled “Genocide in Tigray: Serious Breaches of International Law in the Tigray Conflict, Ethiopia, and Paths to Accountability”. Genocide in Tigray: Serious breaches of international law in the Tigray conflict, Ethiopia, and paths to accountability – New Lines Institute
The top 10 points in the executive summary of the report indicate that there is a reasonable basis to believe that a genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes have been committed in Tigray by the federal Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) on behalf of Ethiopia, Amhara regional armed forces and/or militia (Fano) and loyal groups, the Eritrean Defense Forces (EDF).
Specifically, the 4th point in the executive summary of the report concludes that, on the evidence currently available, there is a reasonable basis to believe that members of the ENDF, the Amhara Special Forces (“ASF”), and the EDF have committed genocide against Tigrayans.
To publicize this report, on June 4, 2024, a roundtable discussion, chaired and moderated by Dr. Azeem Ibrahim, OBE, was held in Ottawa by the distinguished panel that includes Professor John Packer, Annika Weis, Kyle Matthews, and Makeda Leul. Below is the link to the recording of the news conference in Ottawa today: a presentation of the New Lines Institute report regarding Genocide in Tigray: Experts discuss the situation in Ethiopia’s Tigray region – June 4, 2024 – YouTube
The report has gotten wide coverage by Globe and Mail, Al Jazeera and other media outlets. However, VOA Horn of Africa programs have kept quiet. We are learning from internal sources that VOA Horn of Africa program leaders are deliberately suppressing the topic and discouraging their journalists from reporting or doing programs on this topic. We oppose such suppression of information and ask for immediate reporting on the subject or report.
urge you and your colleagues to take action and to make sure that the Ethiopian and Horn of Africa public learns about the report. Not doing so would undermine your credibility and would show how you are working to undermine the quest for justice by the people of Tigray by withholding information from the public. We are writing to ask for an immediate reporting of the report by your media and journalists. We are ready to provide further information about the report and its contents.
PJTI is a 501(c3) registered in the US to advance the promotion and protection of human rights, justice and peace.
Sincerely,
Peace and Justice for Tigreans International (PJTI), USA
1629 K Street NW, Suite 300
Washington, DC 20006
E-mail: PJTINT23@gmail.com
