Mekelle: 2 May 2024 (Tigray Herald)
GSTS Expressing Alarm and Concern at Media Statements by DPM TemesgenTiruneh and Calling for Urgent Cessation of Hostile Rhetoric and the FullImplementation of the Pretoria Agreement
Expressing Alarm and Concern at Media Statements by DPM TemesgenTiruneh and Calling for Urgent Cessation of Hostile Rhetoric and the FullImplementation of the Pretoria Agreement
The Global Society of Tigray Scholars and Professionals (GSTS) is very alarmed bystatements made by Deputy Prime Minister Temesgen Tiruneh, which blatantlyencourage hostile anti-Tigrayan rhetoric and exacerbate tensions. His claims rehashingdebunked statements about the origins of the genocidal war on Tigray reflect a dangerousstep backwards threatening the hard-won peace initiative in Tigray and Ethiopia at large.
We are dismayed that such a high official of the Federal government is making statementsundermining the very principles and stipulations of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement(CoHA) signed in Pretoria and further endangering the Tigrayan community which hasalready borne massive ethnic cleansing, extrajudicial execution and massacres,systematic sexual violence and rape, and other human rights violations since November2020.
These statements by Deputy Prime Minister Temesgen abrogate the very constitutionthat he is sworn to defend in office. It sets a dangerous precedent for the constitutionalorder and peace of Ethiopia when a federal official justifies and endorses the violentinvasion and occupation of regional territories displacing millions of indigenousinhabitants.
Moreover, the Deputy Prime Minister’s alarming intervention preceded by the belligerentstatement issued by the Amhara Regional State recently should be cause for deepconcern for all parties. Taken together, this recent hostile and anti-peace rhetoric seemsto indicate an intent to renew hostilities in Tigray, which should not be tolerated by theFederal Government, mediators to CoHA and the international community at large.
GSTS fully and steadfastly condemns hostile rhetoric from any party and calls upon allparties to abide by and fully implement the CoHA and Nairobi Executive Declaration.Neither Tigray, nor the rest of the Ethiopian people, or indeed the broader region, seekor can withstand more bloodshed and destruction. We strongly assert that the bias andintimidation of the people of Tigray reflected by the Deputy Prime Minister is extremelyirresponsible and dangerous. It is unconscionable to undermine the peace and securityof the Tigrayan community which has been completely devastated by a genocidal war inwhich more than 800 thousand Tigrayans perished, millions remain displaced, tens ofthousands of women and girls are dealing with the aftermath of brutal systematic sexualviolence and rape.
With this in mind, GSTS asks Deputy Prime Minister Temesgen Tiruneh, to take intoaccount his sworn constituticdutyhis important position ande as both a federalaofficial and a representative of the Amhara region in his statements, interventions anddecisions.
We particularly urge that he:
o Publicly acknowledge the error of his hostile rhetoric and assert that all issues.
arising cand must be solved as stipulated in the Pretoria Agreement, the NairobiSenior Commanders Declaration,the Ethiopian constitution;
o Refrain from statements or actions that risk dragging Ethiopia back to war and
instability; and
o Commit, in his capacity as Deputy Minister and a leader representing the Amhararegion, to fully implement the CoHA and safeguard the Ethiopian constitutionhe is duty-bound to do.
Finally, GSTS requests thatorgans of the Federal Government of Ethiopia and dulydelegated officials workensure the urgent andimplementation ofPretoriaAgreement to safeguard the hard-won peace initiative and ensuresecurity and astability of Ethiopia and the region at large.
