The media war waged by the protagonists of the conflict in Ethiopia primarily concerns the humanitarian situation in the Tigray region, now under the control of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) in its entirety. However, according to the UN, less than 15% of the aid needed by residents has reached Tigray since mid-July, fueling fears of a large-scale famine. Government and TPLF blame each other for this blocking of aid, but the United States seems to be supporting the TPLF. They denounce what looks like a “siege” of Tigray by government forces, which reportedly deny access to essential supplies and services. Humanitarian convoys cannot pass and the drivers are even arrested (34 were still detained on November 16, 2021).
Now, the situation of hospitals in the Tigray region is also fueling this propaganda war. 186 children have died of starvation there, according to a study conducted over the past four months in 14 hospitals by doctors and researchers from Mekele University. A period that owes nothing to chance, because it corresponds to the resumption of control of the region by the TPLF. It thus supports the idea that the region is indeed in the grip of a war of famine, already widely denounced for months by NGOs. And when the TPLF men in turn become aggressors in Amhara and Afar, it is according to the TPLF in order to loosen the blockade against Tigray. Their war is sort of just.
A counter-offensive from which Addis Ababa wants to take advantage. The Ethiopian government is no slouch when it comes to propaganda. Its communication service does not hesitate to call on NGOs to also take an interest in the situation in the Amhara and Afar regions. “destroyed by the brutality of the TPLF”.
The government of Ethiopia appeals to all humanitarian agencies to provide humanitarian assistance to Amhara and Afar regions which are destroyed by TPLF brutality. pic.twitter.com/EZkqno8GGM
– FDRE Government Communication Service (@FdreService) November 17, 2021
(Translation: “The government of Ethiopia calls on all aid organizations to provide humanitarian assistance to the Ahmara and Afar areas destroyed by the brutality of the TPLF.”)
Since the start of the military intervention in Addis Ababa in November 2020, the rebels in Tigray have continued to highlight the atrocities committed by Ethiopian troops and their Eritrean allies. This has largely contributed to attracting some international sympathy. However, according to the report produced by the UN and made public on November 2, “all sides ill-treated civilians and captured combatants”. “The seriousness of the violations and abuses that we have identified underscores the need to hold their perpetrators accountable, whatever their side”, said Michelle Bachelet, High Commissioner for Human Rights.
The UN says at least 1,000 people have been arrested since Ethiopia declared a state of emergency on November 2. “This development is all the more worrying as most of those detained are said to be of Tigrayan origin, often arrested on suspicion of being affiliated with or supporting the Front for the Liberation of the People of Tigray.“said Liz Throssell, spokesperson for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC), an independent body but attached to the government, has deplored for its part not being able to carry out its work. In a press release, the EHRC said “very concerned that it cannot collect information relating to the conditions of detention of those arrested since the announcement of the state of emergency on 2 November”. The Commission considers that “thousands of people have been apprehended”. Tigrayans are targeted solely on the basis of their ethnicity, contrary to what the government claims. According to the latter, these arrests are aimed at eradicating the organization considered to be terrorist, the Front for the Liberation of the People of Tigray.
All this is misinformation, pleads Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
My fellow Ethiopians, let us not forget that we are also engaged in a sophisticated narrative war waged against the nation with many using disinformation as a pathway for their sinister moves. Each Ethiopian must play a role in pushing back and reversing the distorted narrative. pic.twitter.com/haiUWgHbzL
– Abiy Ahmed Ali (@AbiyAhmedAli) November 17, 2021
(Translation: “My Ethiopian compatriots, let us not forget that we are also engaged in a sophisticated narrative war waged against the nation with extensive use of disinformation as a channel for their sinister purposes. Every Ethiopian must play a role in pushing back and defeating the nation. reversing the distorted narrative. “)
A theme that finds a lot of support on social networks, where supporters of the Prime Minister denounce the support given, according to them, by the United States to the rebels. The enemies of yesterday, Eritrea and Ethiopia, indeed reconciled, would be victims of a hidden project concocted by Washington. The diasporas of the two countries are thus called to demonstrate together, in London and in other capitals.
Global rally of the #NoMore movement on Sunday, Nov 21.
#NoMore #US intervention.
Respect #ETHIOPIA‘s sovereignty & legitimate govt.
#NoMore support for #TPLF insurrectionists. Insurrections are not ok everywhere, just like they are not ok in the #US.@HornOfAfricaHub pic.twitter.com/JkNEFctIyM– Neamin Zeleke (@NeaminZeleke) November 18, 2021