By Dr. Haymanot Assefa Nadew, Maryland, USA
“All for ourselves, and nothing for other people, seems, in every age of the world, to have been the vile maxim of the masters of mankind.” Adam Smith
What is this chatter I hear about military intervention in Ethiopia: a USA lead? UN mission? Peace keeping mission? or a mix of all the above? My heart sunk when I watched congressmember Karen Bass’s recent video where she mentioned the possibility of USA military intervention in Ethiopia. In the same Video, congresswoman Karen Bass went farther and mentioned that the Ethiopian Diaspora asked the US to consider sending US troops into Ethiopia. I am not sure which Ethiopian diaspora requested the US be involved militaristically in Ethiopia. All Ethiopian Americans that work with the Ethiopian American Voters Public Action Congress (EAPAC Global) and all other partnering Ethiopian Americans organizations do not want the USA to send troops into Ethiopia. Almost universally, the majority of Ethiopian Americans are against the US sending troops into Ethiopia. IN OUR OPINION THIS IS AN EXTREMELY TERRIBLE IDEA!
To ameliorate the worsening Humanitarian crisis in Tigray and to comply with the West’s incessant demand, the Ethiopian government announced a unilateral ceasefire and vacated the Tigray region. Emboldened by the insistent and consistent Western support, the TPLF waged an all-out war against the rest of Ethiopia by invading adjoining Amhara and Afar regions. As reported by the New York times, the TPLF even uses child soldiers in this war among brothers. The USA and the rest of the West placing their thumb on one side of the balance (in favor of the TPLF) is worsening an already flammable situation. The USA and the West, be consistent in championing for human rights and condemn the TPLF’ S USE OF CHILD SOLDIERS. Ask in clear terms that the TPLF stop being increasingly militaristic toward the rest of Ethiopia. For peace to prevail, both parties must stop fighting. USA and EU, pressure both sides to genuinely stop the fighting and engage in negotiations.
Ethiopia is being ravaged by civil war. The USA jockeying to militaristically inserting itself in Ethiopia’s civil war would certainly have disastrous outcomes for the more than 115 million people in Ethiopia. Among many reasons, at the root of the Ethiopian problem is the issue of resource allocation and control. All the subsequent struggles for political power, economic hegemony and militaristic dominance are primarily catalyzed by the age-old question of which group controls resources. We already know the US, with oversized hunger for resources and political influence in the region, has strategically placed itself as a power broker and influence peddler. The US militaristic involvement would only hasten the disintegration of Ethiopia and result in biblical proportion humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia. ETHIOPIA’S DEMISE IS BAD FOR US INTERESTS IN THE REGION!
We all know how USA’s militaristic involvements in Vietnam, Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Iraqi, Libya, Syria, Somalia, Yemen, and Niger went. USA, you have a moral, spiritual, humanitarian and Goliathan duty not to repeat the same kind of death, destruction, and chaos in Ethiopia. To safeguard yours and your allies’ interests, please do not unleash uncontrollable havoc on the Ethiopian people. USA, use your superpower status to force bring the warring factions into the negotiating table and help mediate a lasting peace for the sake of the more than 115 million Ethiopians. The USA, you have a unique responsibility to serve as an honest arbiter. Favoring only the TPLF will not bring a lasting peace and stability. USA and EU, think beyond your interests and be humans for change to help save millions of lives!!! LIVE AND LET LIVE!!!
ALL HUMAN LIFE IS EQUAL!!!