UNMASKING LIES TOLD ON TIGRAY CONFLICT

Much of mainstream media coverage has been given to the conflict and prevailing situation in Ethiopia’s Tigray region since the attack by the TPLF terrorists resulting in a humanitarian crisis. However, the vast majority of the media coverage has been characterized by the worst epitome of disinformation.

One can read on almost daily basis, grossly sensationalized headlines and stories based on wild exaggeration. Reality and the truth have often been turned upside down and inside out by journalists, so-called experts, and other members of the commentariat, while anything resembling logic, reason, skepticism, or critical thinking has been discarded, only to be replaced by grave distortion, emotional appeals, and downright falsehoods.

While it is expected that the intensity of disinformation and lies desiminated by the mainstream would somewhat diminish, unfortunately, it is the opposite that seems to occur.The purveyors of disinformation and lies have proven to be rather resilient.

In a latest report by the Associated Press (AP) on the situation in Tigray, it reports that

“The war in Tigray started in November, shortly before the harvest season, as an attempt by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to disarm the region’s rebellious leaders.” Earlier, of course, the AP published an article in which it referred to the TPLF attack in Mekelle as merely an “allegation”, while the Washington Post has accused Ethiopia of “occupying” Tigray. Similarly worded phrasing and headlines have also been the norm in articles published by many other mainstream outlets, including, unsurprisingly, AFP, the BBC, and CNN.

These are blatant attempts to rewrite history in real time and blur the actual cause of the conflict in Tigray Region, Ethiopia.

Contrary to the revisionist portrayal set by the AP et al., the fundamental fact is that the crisis unfolded solely due to the dangerous acts of military insurrection that the now defunct TPLF group launched on November 3 2020.

With an objective which it openly and audaciously boasted of which was to take control of the Northern Command (which possessed 80% of Ethiopia’s entire weaponry) and then march on to Addis Ababa in order to topple the Federal Government. It also included the goal of invading Eritrea to implement “regime change” and incorporate large swathes of sovereign Eritrean territory into Tigray.

Another preposterous allegation that has continued to swirl has been the absurd claim of white phosphorus attacks. It is worth underscoring that to this very moment, not a single shred of actual evidence has been presented, only hyper claims and assertions. Recall, also, that widely shared photos of the alleged attacks were revealed to have been doctored and lifted from conflicts in other parts of the world from years ago. See evidence below:

It should be worth noting that Eritrea has never developed and does not possess any chemical, or biological weapons nor their means of delivery. Additionally, it is a party to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and Their Destruction (1992), and for years has been a member and active participant of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. More so, Eritrea in its history of military operation or self struggle for freedom amongst other military operations, has never used any biological or chemical weapon, let alone resorted to using white phosphorus or other prohibited weapons against its enemies.

In efforts to hide evidence on the use of a range of prohibited weapons and munitions against Eritrean soldiers and civilians by the TPLF who are funded and backed by major world powers, major media outlets, so-called experts, and members of the commentariat have continued to rehash unsubstantiated allegations and repeat the same basic errors all the while promoting revisionist narratives that omit the fundamental facts and key context that underlie the prevailing situation in Tigray Region, Ethiopia.

It completely overlooks and shields the TPLF’s sole culpability for the crisis, by rather attempting to scapegoat others. In the process, it also serves as a sharp, bitter insult to the many people in Ethiopia, Eritrea, and the rest of the Horn of Africa who have been victimized by the TPLF, both in recent months and over the past three decades.