Frans De Maegd Hope for the Horn of Africa Article for the PCB-CPB Drapeau Rouge-Rode Vaan

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Article for the PCB-CPB, "Drapeau Rouge – Rode Vaan"
FDM 8/12/20
What is happening in Ethiopia?
The defeat of the separatists in Tigray, a new opportunity for unity, peace and
cooperation in Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa
Until a few weeks ago, most of us did not know of the existence of the Tigray, a
region in Ethiopia. Today Tigray was in the news because of the repeated call by 'the
International Community' (read Western imperialism) to 'stop the civil war in Tigray
and negotiate with the Tigray People's Liberation Front' (1) - TPLF (which ruled
Tigray). And om: "to provide free access to the media; international observers;
human rights defenders and humanitarian aid throughout the region".
What were we to make of these demands (which seem reasonable at first sight)?
It seemed so because the media told us that there had been thousands of deaths,
tens of thousands of people had fled, there was already famine ...'. Some media even
fear "genocide" (nothing less).
It is impossible to respond to these demands and these reports from the West without
knowing the current situation in Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa, as well as the terrible
interventions of imperialism in this strategic part of Africa (2).
Ethiopia is one of Africa's largest countries with 110 million inhabitants and at least
50 peoples and populations. It is a federal state with nine regions. Its main peoples
are the Oromos (32%) and the Amharas (30%). The population of Tigray accounts for
less than 6% of Ethiopia's total population.
Ethiopia has never been a colony of a European country. It was, however, very much
under the control of the United States. The US supported and supported Ethiopia for
its Africa policy (3). That is why they helped Emperor Haile Selassie, who turned
Abyssinia into a large Ethiopia (4) and, with the help of the US, could play an
important role in the formation of the "Organization of African Unity" (OAU - 1963).
After the fall of Mengistu's "pro-Soviet" and military regime (1974-1991), the TPLF
took over power in Addis Ababa. Soon after, they took full power and, as a small
ethnic group, pursued a "divide and rule policy" in order to maintain power.
The TPLF opened up the country to the multinationals and foreign investors, so that
from 2010 to 2015 the country grew by about 10% a year. Growth, which hardly
benefited the population. At the insistence of the United States, the TPLF waged war
against progressive Eritrea (1998-2018) and against Somalia (2006-2009).
But in 2017 most other peoples revolted against the regime. The Trump government
understood that in addition to the wasps' nest in the Middle East and Afghanistan,
they could not control the conflicts in the Horn of Africa, with its extremely important
gateway to Europe via the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. The US allowed a soft coup
at the end of March 2018. The new Prime Minister Abiy signed peace with Eritrea
and Somalia and pledged to work for cooperation in the region.

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But the TPLF, which had been ousted from power, refused this policy. It fled to its
Tigray region in the north of the country, stealing a large part of the state coffers and
military equipment. From Tigray it began to act against the new government. They
counted on their old international support, among others from the US and Susan Rice
(5) , National Security Advisor under Obama.
Prime Minister Abiy sometimes reacted very clumsy and even repressive to the
impatience of several peoples of Ethiopia, who demanded more rights for their
region. That displeasure was a signal for the TPLF to challenge the weakened
government. This summer, the TPLF leaders organised illegal elections and showed
their will not only to tear themselves away from Ethiopia, but also to expand Tigray by
force and grant access to the Red Sea.
On 4 November they organised an attack on two barracks of the Ethiopian army in
Tigray. After previous incidents and provocations, this was a step too far. After two
years of fruitless attempts, there was no point in negotiating. That is why the
Ethiopian army went to Tigray to chase away the TPLF separatists. When the army
approached the border town of Mai-Kadra, TPLF militias killed 600 Amhara residents
with choppers (6) on the night of 9 to 10 November.
On 14 November the separatists fired rockets towards Asmara, the capital of Eritrea.
In this way they hoped to provoke a counter-attack from Eritrea and turn the internal
conflict into a foreign conflict in order to provoke Western interventions in their favour.
But Eritrea did not shrink and did not intervene in the conflict. But like all the other
states in the Horn, they supported Ethiopia's initiative to get rid of the TPLF, which
they had long called 'a cancer' in the region.
After barely three weeks, all of Tigray and the capital Mekelle were freed from the
TPLF bandits on 29 November. The people of Tigray were spared as much as
possible because the government of Ethiopia wants to reintegrate the people of
Tigray into the Ethiopian federal nation.
The military campaign by the government of Prime Minister Abiy of Ethiopia
unleashed the people's hatred of the defeated TPLF regime which terrorised the
whole of Ethiopia for almost thirty years. Nor have the TPLF separatists been able to
count on the support of the people of Tigray. The TPLF leadership was completely
alienated from the region because they had lived like parasites for almost 30 years.
From its distant capital Addis Ababa, it did almost nothing for their poor region,
except expanding its size in 1995 to form a "Greater Tigray".
After the fall of the capital, the surviving TPLF militias can no longer move because
the borders with Sudan and Eritrea are closed and they are not prepared for a
guerrilla like in the 1980s. The main leaders of the TPLF were arrested on 6
December and will have to appear in court.
"Game over' is what the media are writing. There was dancing and celebration
throughout Ethiopia and in the other countries of the Horn of Africa.
The refugees can now return home, there is little destruction, the autumn harvest is
plentiful, the government assures the aid, the region is gradually opening up.

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The West's call for negotiations to continue, for hostilities to cease and for the
remaining TPLF leaders to be spared was simply criminal. Had Prime Minister Abiy's
government responded, the other peoples of Ethiopia would have attacked Tigray
themselves. Militias from the Oromo and Amhara regions were ready. The likelihood
of uncontrolled armed action and revenge operations would have been enormous.
Now the government of Ethiopia has regained the confidence of the peoples in
Ethiopia and the way is clear once again for a difficult but hopeful peace and
cooperation in the Horn of Africa.
The positive outcome of this conflict, without foreign interference, also shows that the
ability of imperialism to intervene has been greatly reduced. It will not be long before
the countries of the world will shrug their shoulders and laugh with the West, which
cannot possibly remain the gendarme of the world. We in the imperialist West would
do well to understand this and to shake off our Eurocentric 'we know better and what
is best for you' and reach out to the peoples of the world. The statement that
'imperialism is a paper tiger' is becoming clearer every day.
Frans De Maegd
"Hope for the Horn
Thanks to our comrade Mohamed Hassan, from the Somali region of Ethiopia en
former Ethiopian diplomat.
- About the current conflict:
https://www.investigaction.net/fr/mohamed-hassan-il-ny-a-pas-de-guerre-civile-en-
ethiopie/
- About Ethiopia (1991-2016)
https://www.investigaction.net/fr/lethiopie-a-la-croisee-des-chemins-33-lapartheid-de-
zenawi/
Notes
1. The Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) was formed in 1975 and fought
together with the Eritrea Liberation Front (EPLF) against the military regime of the
Dergue and Mengistu (1974-1991). It was the only well-organised liberation
movement in Ethiopia, so it was able to gain power in 1991 in Addis Ababa. But very
soon it too installed a dictatorship that subjugated the other peoples of the country,
until spring 2018.
2. This knowledge of East Africa is almost non-existent in our country because we
are mainly focused on French-speaking Africa, because of the Belgian colonial past
and that of France.
3. In addition to South Africa, for example.
4. For example, the emperor of Ethiopia received an immense part of Somalia,
including the Ogaden, as a gift from the West and Ethiopia was allowed to gradually
annex independent Eritrea from 1951 onwards.

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5. Susan Rice https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Rice
6. Amnesty International confirmed that this massacre was the work of TPLF militias,
although the Western media tried to cast doubt on who was responsible for this war
crime.