Eritrea’s role in Ethiopia’s conflict

In a gesture of the changing political fate of a man who was once a paraiah, Eritrean President Isis Afwerki proved to be a staunch ally of Ethiopia’s Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Prime Minister Abi Ahmed, giving his troops much needed support to fight. People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) in Tigray.

In a recent address to the Parliament of Ethiopia, the Nobel laureate revealed that Eritrea, a super-military state, ravaged Ethiopian soldiers, dressed and armed, when the TPLF first attacked them and Tigre, an Ethiopian territory Their borders were confiscated in Eritrea, which borders.

Mr. Abi said that it made it possible for him to fight TPLF, a former guerrilla movement with about 250,000 forces until he was ousted from power in the area on 28 November.

“The people of Eritrea have shown us … they are relatives standing with us on a difficult day,” he said.

This was an important confession by Mr. Abi, although he did not go on to claim that Mr. Isaias also sent troops to defeat the TPLF, a longtime enemy of the Eritrean leader who had been in power since 1993. .

The hospital reportedly fired

Eritrean soldiers fighting in Tigray claim that the civilians who fled during the conflict by the TPLF, and Eritreans were carried in and out of the country.

“Christian is sending young Eritreans to die in Tigre. War will weaken the economy even more. But Christian will stay in power for a long time. He lets people fight for their survival so that they don’t struggle for their freedom . ” Paulos Tesafiorgis, an Eritrean human rights campaigner who was in exile by the regime in Asmara.

A US State Department spokesman also said there were “credible reports” The presence of Eritrean troops in Tigray, and called it “serious development”.

The two governments refute the reports, with Eritrean Foreign Minister, Osman Saleh Mohammed, Describing them as “propaganda”.

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As United Nations chief Antonio Guterres said, Mr Abi assured him that there were no Eritrean troops in the Tigre, except in the region that Ethiopia agreed to follow a historic peace agreement between the two countries in 2018 I went.

The deal ended the “no war-no peace” situation that existed between the two countries since the 1998–2000 border war, killing more than 100,000 people. Mr. Abi received the Nobel Peace Prize, although the area did not migrate to Eritrea by the time the conflict began in Tigray in early November.

Mr Abi’s government has severely restricted Tigray’s access to media, UN agencies and human rights bodies, making it difficult to verify the report or investigate allegations of atrocities on all sides in the conflict – which includes the shells of a hospital in the Irrippern area.

Eritrea has not commented on the alleged shelling, noted In a statement by the head of UN Human Rights. Mr. Abi denies that his soldiers have killed a civilian in Tigray.

“This war has been fought in complete darkness. No one knows the true scale of the conflict or its impact,” said Rashid Abdi, analyst of the Horn of Africa.

Eritrean forces accused of looting

US-based analyst Alex de Waal said he was informed by a UN source that the conflict caused a “massive displacement” of people in the region, with Ethiopia’s poorest population at about five million.

“If it goes on like this, there will be mass starvation in the Tigre, and a population that is embarrassed and angry,” Mr de Waal said.

He said that he had also learned from reliable sources in Tigray, including the cleric, that Eritrean forces were involved in the looting.

“We hear they are stealing the doors too [and] Bathroom fittings, ”he said.

More on the Tigre crisis:

Other Eritreans said that the soldiers, including their relatives, were fighting the TPLF forces on several fronts, and some of them also wore Ethiopian camouflage.

Eritrea insisted that it did not have troops in Tigre, its foreign minister said: “We are not involved.”

But exiled Eritrean diplomat Abdella Adem said he personally knew the soldiers who were wounded in the war, while a source at the public hospital in the southern city of Senephe, Eritrea, told the BBC that both Eritrea and Ethiopia The soldiers were treated there.

‘Isaias wants liquidation of TPLF’

Other sources in Eritrea said that soldiers from Ethiopia were also seen around the central city of Haggaz, and took their injured to the nearby Gilas military hospital.

UK-based Eritrean academic Gam Kibreb said she believed Mr Isaias had sent troops to Tigray to pursue the “liquidation” of the TPLF, which he said was an Eritrean leader since the 1998–2000 border war Are prominent.

The TPLF was in power at the time of the Federal Government of Ethiopia and the Tigray Regional Government.

“In 1998–2000 war, TPLF humiliated President [Mr Isaias] By taking possession of the small village of Badam. Even when an international tribunal ruled that the village belonged to Eritrea, the TPLF refused to move from the occupied site for 18 years.

“The President has waited for this moment and the TPLF underestimated his craft and patience at his own risk,” Mr. Gamm said.

Missiles fired in eritrea

Proponents of Mr. Isaias insisted that the Eritrean troops did not cross into the Tigre, stating that they had merely pursued the objective of occupying sovereign territory without cause, by occupying the Badami, and surrounding areas.

Expressing a different view, Mr Paulos said: “Badam is back in Eritrea’s hands, but no public announcement has been made about it as it is not Christian’s main concern. She is still crushing the TPLF. Is pushing for

“Abi started out as a peacemaker and a reformer, but he then collapsed in an attempt to get revenge against the TPLF, which Issei wanted.”

Mr Abi says he tried to settle differences with the TPLF peacefully, but was forced to take action against it after seizing military bases in a night raid on 3 November They want to overthrow their government.

While Mr Isaias rallied to his aid at the time, the Eritrean state media kept the audience in the dark about the conflict, even over TPLF-fired missiles landing on the outskirts of the capital Asmara in early November. Also failed to report, causing a loud outburst. Explosions that were heard by residents.

Former Eritrean government official Davit Fishai said, “Bombs bombed Eritrean TV in Syria, but when the missiles landed in Asamara, it did not say anything.”

In a tweet, Information Minister of Eritrea Yamane Meskel said that it is “meaningless for its amplification.” [the TPLF’s] Last-ditch, predictable, though inconsistent work “.

‘Abduction of refugees’

Eritrea has limited internet access and there is no independent media and no opposition parties in the country – The fate of 11 politicians and 17 journalists detained almost 20 years ago remains unknown.

In addition, military consent is mandatory despite limited job opportunities, resulting in many people – especially youth – fleeing the country. Been living in UN camps in Tigray for almost 100,000 years.

The UN refugee agency said it had received “an overwhelming number of credible reports” showing refugees being killed, kidnapped and forcibly returned to the one-party state during the current conflict.

Although not told who was behind the kidnapping, a refugee told the BBC that it was Eritrean soldiers who loaded them on lorries in Adigret City and took them across the border to Adi Qula City.

Eritrea has not commented on its alleged involvement, but has previously accused the UN agency of a “smear campaign” and trying to reopen the country.

Mr. Dawit said that he did not believe that governance would ever improve.

“There has been no change in Eritrea so far as the leadership is not wanted and the TPLF’s demise will not bring that change.” It is an irony to expect improvement, ”he said.