27/10/2020
Statement from the National Regional Government of Tigray Regarding Current Affairs Statement of Position
The illegal, unitarist and, personalistic dictatorship currently in charge of political power at the federal level, in a move that reaffirms the adage that history repeats itself, finds itself repeating the injustices committed by the previous imperial and military regimes, conspiring with external actors with the sole purpose of bringing the people of Tigray to their knees, serving as a vehicle for Issais’s desire to extract a pound of flesh for perceived wrongs, and committing the treasonous act of abandoning the country’s policy independence and sovereignty.
In recent weeks, the clique in power, ostensibly in the name of reorganizing the armed forces, has been trying to implement a devious scheme to, once again, try to bring the people of Tigray to their knees. The clique in power is in the middle of selling out the country’s sovereignty by weakening members of the National Defense Forces stationed in Tigray to ensure the security of our border areas following the unresolved conflict with Eritrea lasting 23 years and preserve the country’s sovereignty. Nevertheless, as repeatedly articulated by the government of Tigray as well as other federalist forces, this unitarist dictatorship, following the expiry of its term as of October 5, 2020 in accordance with the FDRE constitution, does not have the legal responsibility or power to make significant political and military decisions.
Accordingly, following an in-depth assessment of current affairs, the Government of the National Regional State of Tigray has issued the following statement of position:
1. Since the unitarist, personalistic dictatorship in power, outside of solutions put forth by Ethiopian political forces through dialogue, has no legal responsibility or power to make decisions regarding the reorganization and/or operations of the Ethiopian National Defense Forces, any decisions made thus far are not acceptable and will not be implemented. Accordingly, it should be known that any decisions related to Tigray, such as operational decisions, leadership changes and command reorganizations and the movement of troops or armaments, are absolutely unacceptable and will never be implemented. We call upon the defense forces to reject this illegal reorganization for its runs counter to their core constitutional mission. Responsibility for any and all problems that follow from this irresponsible decision will be appropriately laid at the feet of the two individuals at the helm of their respective unitarist, personalistic dictatorship: Abiy Ahmed and Issais.
2. Realizing that the federal budgetary subsidy given to the people of Tigray does not come from the pockets of the personalistic dictatorship in power, but rather from the taxes collected from the people of Tigray and redirected to the people on the basis of a constitutionally determined revenue-sharing formula, budgetary subsidy to the people of Tigray must be continued without any preconditions. If the illegal group in power, in a clear violation of the constitutional rights of the people of Tigray, insists on cutting or otherwise suspending Tigray’s budgetary subsidy, it will be tantamount to a declaration of war; this unitarist, personalistic dictatorship will be solely responsible for all the problems that arise as a result of its decisions.
3. It is well known that you, the people of Tigray, have continually tolerated the numerous acts of injustice perpetrated against them thus far and have paid tremendous sacrifices for the sake of saving the country from destruction. Be that as it may, the personalistic dictatorship, utterly incapable of comprehending your patience and wisdom, continues to perpetrate numerous injustices and acts of discrimination against you. Since the concrete dangers hovering over your security and survival cannot and should not continue unabated, we call upon you to make extensive preparations to, as always, counter your enemies and make a glorious history in the process.
4. With regards to the Renaissance Dam, had the discussions initiated by the illegal group in power with certain entities not been disrupted due to political pressures exerted by the people of Ethiopia, it is now evident that, in exchange for financial compensation as well as other material inducements, the clique in power would have been willing to sacrifice our national sovereignty. The clique in power has once again proven that it is willing to put our sovereignty up for sale without any compunction. Before our country descends into general crisis and the risk of national disintegration goes up owing to the actions of the illegal, unitarist, and personalistic dictatorship in power, we call upon Ethiopia’s nations, nationalities, and peoples to put forth solutions, based on calls for peace and national salvation proposed by federalist forces, to stave off national destruction by directing their collective arms against the illegal, unitarist, and personalistic dictatorship.
5. Members of the National Defense Forces, who solemnly swore to preserve the constitution and defend our sovereignty: the time when you look the other way when our sovereignty is in constant danger must come to an end. Because of this oppressive clique’s chosen path, having been forced to deviate from your constitutional mission, you have been driven into conflict with Ethiopia’s nations, nationalities, and peoples and bleed as a result. Realizing that you had been deployed to protect our national sovereignty through your sacrifice but your mission has subsequently been hijacked and instrumentalized to preserve the parochial interests of the unitarist, personalistic dictatorship in power, we call upon you to stand shoulder to shoulder with your people and discharge your historic responsibility to defend our nation’s sovereignty; we would like to reaffirm that the people and government of Tigray will stand with you in your fight to save our country and its people.
6. The illegal clique in power, in a brazen violation of international covenants and obligations, continues to weaponize even food security assistance from international aid organizations for its own narrow political objectives. The United Nations and other agencies the world over as well as international aid organizations need to realize that the aid they provide is being used for the purpose of promoting the political interests of the illegal, personalistic dictatorship as well as oppressing the people of Tigray and, therefore, exercise appropriate oversight, and hold the illegal clique accountable for the violation of numerous humanitarian principles. Members of the international community, continental and international institutions, and members of the diplomatic corps based in Ethiopia: realizing that the country descending into civil war and facing the risk of imminent disintegration will have grave regional, continental, and international ramifications, you must discharge your legal and moral obligations in preventing such an eventuality. In the event of failure to do your part, it will be impossible to escape from your historical and moral culpability for the looming crisis and inevitable danger of disintegration.
7. The people of Eritrea and Defense Forces: the Issais regime is doing all it can to bring the people of Tigray, who paid tremendous sacrifices alongside the people of Eritrea during their struggle for independence, to their knees and plunge us into mutual bloodletting by scheming and conspiring with the enemies of the people of Tigray. Realizing that the two personalistic dictators, having blocked all avenues of brotherly relations between the two countries, are busy cultivating personal relationships that would enable them to consolidate and preserve their own power, and that we are, therefore, at a critical juncture when we must work together to spoil this devious scheme and make sure that this scheme remains a pipedream, we call upon you to fulfill your obligations by standing shoulder to shoulder with the people of Tigray and stopping the bloody policy chosen by Issais in its tracks. The Issais regime will not escape from any responsibility for the consequences of its actions in Ethiopia.
Eternal glory to our martyrs!
The National Regional Government of Tigray
October 24, 2020
