Eritrean troops commit massacres during ENDF campaign against TPLF

ADDIS ABABA - The Eritrean troops who crossed over the border to back up Ethiopian National Defense Forces [ENDF] in the Tigray war may have killed thousands of innocent civilians, an investigation by CNN indicate, in yet a dramatic revelation that could throw Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed into a quagmire over his human rights record.

In November 2020, Abiy Ahmed, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate, who won the hearts of many due to his peacekeeping mission in the Horn of Africa, sanctioned a military operation in Tigray, a region that has been fighting for autonomy in the country, leading to mass murders that could be the worst in the recent history.

For almost a month, troops selected from ENDF and EDF ransacked villages in northern Ethiopia in pursuit of Tigray People's Liberation Front [TPLF] fighters after it emerged that the latter had attacked ENDF Northern Command, killing thousands in the process.

The war culminated in the capture of Mekelle, the regional administrative capital of the Tigray region. During the crackdown, thousands of TPLF fighters were either arrested or killed according to an official government report by the Ethiopian government.

But now, a report compiled by CNN' Nima Elbagir shows that Eritrean troops may have committed crimes again humanity in a foreign country, something which could evoke tough questions about the civilians' safety and sovereignty of Ethiopia.

One of the most shocking incidents in the operation was an attack waged by the Eritrean troops at Maryam Dengelat church in Dengelat village in Tigray, where at least 54 people mostly children were killed in cold blood, during a religious ceremony that was taking place in the church, CNN established.

Eritrea troops ignore pleas from locals

The investigations established that on November 30, 2020, the Eritrea troops crossed over the border and descended on Dengelat village, where they opened fire indiscriminately despite pleas by the locals the let them go. None of the soldiers dared to listen, the report shows.

"They came to our house and then told us to go out. There were a lot of soldiers outside and they were saying, come out, come out you bitch," one of the survivors who used a pseudo name "Mercy" for the sake of her security said. "We said we are civilians as we showed our IDs. They didn't ask any questions, they just opened fire."

For the next hours, she added, gunfire rented the air as a number of them tried to run to save their lives. The soldiers, she noted, were of Eritrean descent and donned in uniforms with an Eritrean flag, another proof that they were not Ethiopians.

Another survivor who used Abraham as a pseudo name to hide his identity narrated how he was tasked to dig shallow graves for the victims. According to him, at least 24 people he buried from the attack were mostly children whose identity was established.

"They were all so young, and they took them and killed them together in the field," he said, noting that the crackdown continued in the village as people ran for their safety. The troops engaged in a killing spree for over three days within the region, he added.

Earlier this year, Garowe Online exclusively reported the presence of Somali soldiers in the operation, but the findings were downplayed by Mogadishu and Asmara, despite the admission that there were close to 2,500 soldiers from Somalia training in Eritrea ahead of deployment to the Somali National Army [SNA].

Preliminary reports had indicated that the Somali troops fought along with Eritrean troops soldiers in Tigray, with some witnesses saying at least 300 of them were killed. But a report by Investigate Dossier run by the Voice of America established otherwise, revealing that the young soldiers had been allowed to reach their loved ones on phone in Somalia.

TPLF message to the international community

Debretsion Gebremichael, the leader of under siege TPLF accused the troops from Eritrea and those from ENDF mainly of Amhara descent of targeting children and innocent civilians in the operation, adding that there is a need for swift actions against the perpetrators.

"They are killing our people in this country, they are killing children, all ages of the population and they are conducting rape," Debretsion told CNN in a phone interview from an undisclosed location.

"All sorts of acts of genocide have been committed in Tigray. So, the most important thing is that an investigation must be conducted," he added. "We are calling for an investigation into the CNN findings on the ground in Tigray."

Ethiopia's foreign ministry on Monday rejected a call from the United States for the Ethiopian federal government to pull forces out of Tigray, saying it was "regrettable" that the US had attempted "to make pronouncements on Ethiopia's internal affairs and specifically, the reference to the Amhara regional forces redeployment."

"It should be clear that such matters are the sole responsibility of the Ethiopian government, which as a sovereign nation, is responsible to deploy the necessary security structures and means available in ensuring the rule of law within all corners of its borders," the ministry said in a statement.

Debretsion said he was making an urgent call to the Biden administration to keep the pressure on the Ethiopian and Eritrean governments.

"We want to have peace in this region, in this country so we want [the US] to continue to push [for the withdrawal] of invader forces from Tigray to stop the atrocities, genocide, and destruction," he told CNN.

"We need, you know, humanitarian assistance as well ... The whole Tigray is in a social and economic crisis. Our people need assistance, they need humanitarian support. So, it's an urgent call. We need this push from the [US] President."

The US calls for the withdrawal of troops from Tigray

And the US now wants Ethiopia to immediately withdraw troops from the Tigray region, besides calling for the opening of humanitarian routes. The troops who are engaged in the operation had imposed blockades, thus making it almost impossible for the population to access aid.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken held a phone conversation with Ethiopia's PM Ahmed on Tuesday, where they discussed the crisis. Although Ethiopia had initially blasted the US over what it called "internal interference of our sovereignty", the two leaders agreed on a number of issues including but not limited to the opening of supply routes.

Also, Washington called for an immediate withdrawal of Eritrean troops from the Tigray region, which was the epicenter of the feud between Addis Ababa and Asmara in the 90s. Ethiopia and Eritrea only reconciled in 2018 when Abiy Ahmed took over as Prime Minister from Hailemariam Desalegn.

The Eritrean troops are said to have crossed over the border when ENDF descended on TPLF and assisted them to capture Merille, the regional administrative capital of the Tigray region. Despite TPLF's surroundings, the troops are said to have perpetrated impunity and mass murder in the region.

"Secretary Blinken pressed for the immediate end to hostilities and the withdrawal of outside forces from Tigray, including Amhara regional security forces and Eritrean troops," State Department said in a statement, Tuesday.

"Secretary Blinken also asked that the Government of Ethiopia work with the international community to facilitate independent, international, and credible investigations into reported human rights abuses and violations and to hold those responsible accountable."

According to the department, the Secretary of State urged Ahmed to implement his initial order of allowing humanitarian teams to access the conflict-hit regions within Tigray, to avert the brewing hunger crisis caused by starvation, given the blockades imposed by the military.

"Secretary Blinken acknowledged Ethiopia’s recent announcement of full and unhindered humanitarian access in Tigray," the department quoted a conversation between the two leaders.

"He stressed the need for the Government of Ethiopia to honor its commitments around access, reiterated that the United States remains ready to assist in resolving the conflict, and highlighted the United States’ commitment to providing life-saving humanitarian assistance to vulnerable populations throughout Ethiopia."

TPLF troops seized power in Ethiopia in 1991 with the backing of Eritrea, and the TPLF's Meles Zenawi became the nation's leader. Debretsion became deputy prime minister after Zenawi's death in 2012.

The TPLF ruled until 2018 when members of the Oromo and Amhara ethnic groups united against the party. Abiy was appointed prime minister in 2018 and won a Nobel prize last year for his peace deal with Eritrea.

Violence flared in the region last year after Tigray went ahead with local elections that the Abiy government had banned because of the pandemic. Across the country, there have been also ethnic-motivated clashes that have significantly affected Abiy's Oromia backyard which is attributed to sweeping social-economic and democratic reforms engineered by the PM.

GAROWE ONLINE