Amhara Ethiopians Heroic Fight for Survival: With Abiy Ahmed’s Departure  Soon, ‘Never Again’ to Cruel and Ignorant Tyrants 

Bruke Lemma, PhD 

“Under a dictatorship, a nation ceases to exist. All that remains is a fiefdom, a planet of  slaves regimented by aliens from outer space.” — Wole Soyinka 

It’s deeply perplexing to me every time I hear Abiy Ahmed speak – something I now  consciously make an effort to avoid – how a man so remarkably ignorant, terribly nonsensical,  a buffoon, and a clown, was able to deceive not only Ethiopians but the entire world.  

It seems the world was eager for someone from that region to emerge; thus, as soon as he came  on to the scene and spoke a few words and took actions that many initially perceived as positive,  though the reality later proved to be quite different, they hastily crowned him.  

They all recognize their mistakes now, and some of them even refuse to shake his murderous  hands. However, they find themselves at a loss for how to handle him, resorting to issuing  ineffective lukewarm statements of condemnation, which he consistently ignores. 

Meanwhile, Ethiopians, especially Amhara Ethiopians, continue to endure daily horrors  inflicted on them by the Abiy Ahmed regime’s ethnic army. This army, once a respected national  force, underwent a drastic transformation as almost all individuals with national sentiments  were forcibly removed from its ranks.  

Accordingly, the Generals and other high-ranking officials originally from diverse ethnic  backgrounds were replaced with individuals from Abiy Ahmed’s own ethnic group, morphing  it into an ethnically driven and ruthlessly bloodthirsty killing machine. 

This grotesquely transformed national military force has been stationed in the Amhara region  for more than five months now, perpetrating mass murders, looting, and theft from  impoverished Amhara farmers, among its other appalling crimes.  

They have gone to the extent of slaughtering the farm animals that Amhara farmers rely on for  their livelihoods, some for consumption, without compensating the farmers, and others  seemingly out of sheer cruelty. Moreover, they have deployed heavy weaponry, drones, and  conducted fighter strikes on defenseless civilians, including women and children.  

Outrageously, they have even stooped to the level of executing hospital patients, dragging them  out of their beds, Amhara youth, some reportedly as young as twelve years old, the elderly, and  others in broad daylight. These atrocities have all been independently verified and meticulously  documented by reputable international organizations now. 

Considering all these factors and more, it is absolutely imperative now for the world to  acknowledge the grave and continuously worsening humanitarian crisis unfolding in Ethiopia under the oppressive regime of its unhinged leader, Abiy Ahmed.  

Unless decisive action is taken soon to put a stop to these ongoing carnages in the Amhara  region by, among other things, giving Abiy Ahmed an ultimatum or some such that he could 

not be able to ignore, it should be clear to all by now that he is a man capable of sinking to  unimaginable depths of criminality. This includes significantly escalating the ongoing mass  slaughter and accelerating the genocide of Amhara Ethiopians. 

The US-based Lemkin Institute for the Prevention of Genocide has issued a Red Flag Alert,  the highest level of warning, regarding the genocide of the Amhara people in Ethiopia. While  this horrifying situation has persisted for the past five years under Abiy Ahmed’s regime, the  Lemkin Institute’s alert signifies the alarming acceleration and mechanization of the mass  murders that are now being carried out using heavy weaponry, drones, fighter jets, and more. 

Therefore, the time has come for the international community, particularly the Western world,  including the US, Europe, Australia as well as the UN to move beyond issuing ineffective  statements and press releases and take decisive action.  

This must include measures such as imposing an arms embargo and establishing no-fly zones  to prevent drones and fighter jets from operating in the Amhara region. The US possesses the  technical capability to enforce such measures and more. 

Furthermore, it is absolutely critical to facilitate easier access and even provide the Amhara people with the means to defend themselves against a tyrannical regime that has displayed  unwavering determination to mercilessly and cruelly slaughter them all. 

While Abiy Ahmed’s regime has been orchestrating the genocide of the Amhara people  continuously almost for five years so far, the deployment of the entire military force of the  country in the Amhara region now is somewhat unprecedented, and it is highly likely to be a  prelude to an unimaginable massacre of the Amhara people that the regime is planning to carry  out and thus it should be given due attentions by all responsible powers.  

The Fanos, the only groups who are fighting to protect the Amhara people from such impending and ongoing slaughters, currently rely solely on the arms they have managed to seize from  Abiy Ahmed’s captured soldiers and similar sources.  

While their bravery and skills have allowed them to accomplish much, their arsenal still falls  significantly short of what is needed to effectively counter an army armed with advanced  weaponry, heavy artillery, tanks, aircraft, and a range of other formidable resources. 

However, let me be clear, there is absolutely no scenario in which Abiy Ahmed’s regime could  prevail against a determined population of forty or fifty million, no matter how many innocent  Amhara people he continues to brutally slaughter.  

Still, it is an immense stain on the world, especially on the global powers, from whom we  rightfully expect strong leadership and decisive actions, to merely witness these horrifying  atrocities unfold and to continue to issue ineffective statements and such. 

One thing is certain: the Amhara people will ultimately free themselves from the clutches of  this inhumane monster, who has been tormenting them for the past five years, with or without  the help of others. There is absolutely no doubt about it!  

Abiy Ahmed used a system of oppression and a phony constitution that legalized and  entrenched discrimination and unequal treatment to oppress and disenfranchise the Amhara 

people. While these systems were originally created by his predecessors – the criminal group  known as the TPLF – he has intentionally and systematically made these things even worse. 

The world, especially the global powers aligned with democracy, human rights, and the rule of  law, now must take resolute actions on various fronts, including providing essential  humanitarian assistance to the Amhara region, which is currently enduring relentless and  deliberate acts of destruction.  

The Amhara people have no choice but to persist in their struggle for survival. Their ultimate  triumph is beyond question. However, history will judge those who chose to stand by and do  nothing. 

The Fanos, who are bravely defending the Amhara people against the onslaught of a deranged  rogue government, have displayed remarkable discipline, heroism, and an extraordinary level  of decency that goes well beyond what could be reasonably expected. They have steadfastly  refrained from engaging in looting, theft, or the harassment of civilians, setting an admirable  example of conduct. 

In stark contrast, the Army that Abiy Ahmed unleashed in the Amhara region has engaged in  all forms of criminality, including looting and theft, in addition to its other crimes, behaving  like marauders.  

In an attempt to deflect attention from their own disgraceful actions, the army has resorted to  portraying the Fanos as something they are not, including using hooligans and mercenaries  dressed in Fano uniforms to carry out looting, theft, killings, and more. However, this deceitful  tactic has thus far failed and will undoubtedly continue to fail, as the entire Amhara people  stand firmly with the Fano. 

Overall, the Fano militia forces have operated as a unified national force, surpassing their role  as a regional resistance militia. They have embodied the values of honor, decency, generosity and more, values that should have been upheld by the actual national army but regrettably were  not. Despite facing overwhelming odds, their accomplishments thus far have been truly, truly remarkable. 

Still, this is just the beginning. They will persist and complete the mission, ultimately ousting  Abiy Ahmed from his palace, in such a way to make him envious of the fates of Saddam  Hussein, Muammar Gaddafi, Mobutu Sese Seko, and Idi Amin, who, incidentally, shared a  similar level of intellectual capability—although some might argue that Abiy Ahmed is actually much dumber. 

Well, it doesn’t matter much; they are both as dumb as hell, curses on Africa and Africans, one  dead, one still living, nominally at least. What matters now is the fact that it is highly unlikely for Abiy Ahmed will be able to maintain his grip on power for much longer, which is great. The  Fanos, renowned for their resourcefulness, have been effectively weakening the army through  their multifront attacks, employing both conventional and guerrilla warfare tactics.  

To further erode his regime’s resilience, they should now consider broadening the struggle to  other regions that are also suffering under Abiy Ahmed’s despotic rule.

They should explore the feasibility of sending guerrilla strike units to Addis Ababa to assist  those there in their fight against the regime or to give a greater impetus to the struggle there.  Additionally, they might consider training some of the Army’s captured soldiers and deploying  them to resist the regime in their respective regions. These are just a few ideas that I’m sure the  collective leadership of Fanos are probably already considering and more. 

With all that in mind, it is crucial to start planning for a future without the cursed Abiy Ahmed,  the petulant despot. This includes declaring ‘Never Again’ to cruel and ignorant tyrants like  him. It is never too early to contemplate these matters.  

In the meantime, the Amhara people and their Fanos should know that we all stand with you  in your struggle to establish a democratic nation that upholds human rights and the rule of law,  where the Amhara people will not be treated as second- or third-class citizens in their own  country, and where no one faces discrimination and unequal treatment on the basis of their  ethnicities, religious affiliations and more.  

Victory to the Amhara people, Victory to the Fanos, Victory to Ethiopia!

Editor’s note : Views in the article do not necessarily reflect the views of borkena.com  

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