22/12/2016 (Brève 896) TPLF’S SURVIVAL DEPENDS ON ITS NEVER-ENDING PLOYS – Cmmuniqué de l’ARDUF (Afar Revolutionary Democratic Unity Front)
The brutal minority regime of Tigray People’s Liberation Front’s (TPLF) retaliations to the yearlong protests in the Oromia, Amhara and other parts of the country have been extra-judicial killings, throwing thousands of innocent civilians in jail, blocking access to social media. In short untold massive human rights violations, most of those barbaric acts were executed under the guise of State of Emergency in order to lawfully target the political oppositions and civilians who are protesting against the political, economic and social injustice and the lack of democracy.
ARDUF believes that the imposition of the State of Emergency by TPLF/EPRDF is to deploy military forces to legalise its unlawful killings, arbitrary detention, imprisonment and to labelling opposition leaders as anti-peace and terrorist elements. As a result of the State of Emergency Law, Ethiopian civilians live under constant state of fear and violations of human rights. TPLF/EPRDF regime, on the other hand, promised to undergo extensive reform and substituted some Ministers on the Federal and Regional levels by Professors and PhDs recruited from the higher institution of learning. Above all, it unleashed a slanderous campaign to discredit opposition groups by playing them against each other particularly on social media.
Even the superficial manoeuvre of reshuffling officials has not been materialized so far in the Afar Region. We are sure that they will NOT bring Professors or Doctors (PhD) from institutions of higher learning in the Afar Region as they pretend to do in Tigray and the Federal level because there are none in that regard. We also pretty sure that TPLF will NOT give the Afar the right of Self-Determination to freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development.
Since the last meeting in 2015, held in the District of ABAALA (ABQAALA) (Zone 2 of the Afar region), the Afar people have been facing unprecedented political, economic, social, security problems and severe hunger. The ruling clique appointed by the TPLF have failed to meet their legal, moral, ethical and political responsibilities and obligations to address the needs of the Afars. Instead of promoting Equal Opportunities Policy and Equality before the law, they engaged in promoting tribalism and divide and rule policies. Tribalism is now overriding the national law. Afar people are confused, frustrated and disappointed. They are angry and they have almost totally lost faith, trust and confidence in the ruling clique. ARDUF demands their immediate resignation to minimize the suffering and to give the Afar freedom to decide their destiny. In the last 20 years, only three well known TPLF servants have dominated the scene in the Afar Region, initially rendering service as ERRAND BOYS and later co-opted by the TPLF into establishing the Afar Regional assignee namely the Afar People’s Democratic Organization (APDO).
It seems those three ERRAND BOYS are irreplaceable.
The popular protest continues despite the regime’s use of massive and brutal force instead of addressing the root cause of the problem. Such measures have not worked in the past and will not succeed at present as the upraising is re-bouncing back stronger than ever. While the upraising flares in other parts of the country, the much waited for countrywide mass uprising against the regime could not be coordinated. The new Coalitions being formed must heed the lessons of yesterday, if it is to bear fruit and manifest itself in a nation-wide concerted action.
ARDUF can confirm that the call and the struggle to put an end to decades of systematic exclusion and marginalization, respect for the rule of law; genuine self-rule and democratic opening will continue with more determination than ever. Neither the State of Emergency accompanied by the deadly crackdown on protesters nor the gross violations of human rights or the slanderous campaign to discredit the opposition will stop the democratic aspirations of the Ethiopian people. The uprisings and resistance will continue until our democratic demands and objectives are achieved in spite of the TPLF’s never-ending ploys.
ARDUF calls on all Ethiopian opposition forces and civil societies to reject and denounce the politics of divide and rule by an iron fist and oppression of TPLF/EPRDF regime and support a democratic struggle to eliminate the fascist regime and to establish a genuine Democratic Federalism based on the rule of law in Ethiopia.
VICTORY FOR ARDUF
LONGO LIE FOR ETHIOPIA
Military Command Centre (MCC)
Information Desk of ARDUF
Afar Revolutionary Democratic Unity Front (ARDUF)