Borkena
Toronto – Chief of the Ethiopian Defense Force, Field Marshal Birhanu Jula, on Wednesday appeared before the Foreign Relation and Peace Affairs Standing Committee in the Parliament.
The Minister for Defense, Aisha Mohammed, along with the Defense Chief, reportedly presented to the Committee a report on the ending fiscal year performance and a ten year’s plan implementation report.
The Defense Chief told the committee that “the Defense Force is working with focus on ensuring peace and security in the Horn of Africa.” Apart from internal conflict, there have been recently speculations about possible break out of war between Ethiopia and Eritrea after the relation between the two countries deteriorated fast over the past few years. The rhetoric on the part of Abiy Ahmed’s administration about sea access is believed to be the major factor why the relation is now close to the point of military confrontation.
The Field Marshal mentioned sea access issues during the report. “Relentless effort is underway to work in cooperation with the countries in the region to secure sea access to Ethiopia,” he is cited as saying. Furthermore, he said the revival of the Ethiopian Navy was a deliberate plan as part of the effort to ensure Ethiopia has access to the sea. He claims that a force capable of defending in provocation over land or sea is formed. As to the internal security situation, he made another claim that “action is being taken against armed groups in the country.” At the same time he highlighted that regional states are working to defend their peace on their own so that the defense force could revert back to its core mission.
Other issues were highlighted in the presentation. The Minister for Defense claimed that “54,000 armed combatants [apparently from the rebel group]” who ended armed activities were trained and reintegrated into the society. However, it is unspecified as to which armed groups they belong to.
Abiy Ahmed government has been undertaking a military engagement in the Oromia region Ethiopia for over six years now against the Oromo Liberation Army and against Fano forces in the Amhara region of Ethiopia over the past two years.
Attention has been given to enhance the Defense Force’s capacity to undertake work to defend the nation from any possible attack, the minister has told the committee.
The Standing Committee has reportedly evaluated the performance from the defense force as “encouraging.”
The Ethiopian Defense Force has been involved in “crimes against humanity,” as some human rights organization described it and “genocide” in the Amhara region of Ethiopia over the past two years. There have been recurring reports of drone attacks and artillery shelling against civilians in many parts of the Amahra region in addition of rape. As well, there have been similar allegations in the Oromia region although there was no recurring drone strikes and artillery shelling in the region.
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The key word and advice to the parties concerned about the old country securing sea access is it must be done through peaceful and diplomatic means. It will never be achieved through war and prolonged conflicts.
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That Ethiopia has lived these past 34 years without any access to the sea is an injustice that was brought upon her by the Derg’s total ineptitude and TPLF’s complicity with Isaias’s agenda. Gen. Berhanu’s speech calls for Ethiopia to gain access by force since all formal or informal diplomatic talks with Eritrea have failed. Even though he is confident that Ethiopia’s military is ready to achieve this goal, he does not seem to give weight to all the other conflicts raging in Ethiopia that could thwart its plans. It is still worth spending more time pursuing the peaceful road before plunging Ethiopia into a war that could end Ethiopia’s existence as we know her.