During the last four years (2020-2024), the Tigray People’s Liberation Front’s (TPLF) propaganda machine and its surrogate social media activists, scattered all over the world, have been busy blackmailing the Eritrean Army. The accusations included unlawful killing of civilians, rape, and food aid theft. Such accusations continued in full force even after the TPLF and the Ethiopian government signed the Pretoria peace agreement (November 2, 2022) in South Africa. The difference was that before the signing of the peace agreement, the TPLF’s propaganda machine was lashing out at the Ethiopian government, the Amhara Allied Forces, and the Eritrean Army. However, after the signing of the peace agreement, the focus was the Eritrean Army, confirming the blackmail was political.
On November 4, 2020, TPLF’s militia and special forces brutally attacked the Northern Command of the Ethiopian Army, and some of the soldiers who survived the spontaneous attack fled to Eritrea. Being angry at Eritrea for accepting the fleeing Ethiopian soldiers, the TPLF hurled more than a dozen missiles at UNESCO’s world heritage site and the capital city of Eritrea, Asmara. To stop the missiles, the Eritrean Army had to support the Ethiopian Army, and both crossed into Tigray.
From the onset, it was clear that the remnants of the 32,000 Ethiopian Army that was backstabbed by a 200,000-strong TPLF militia and special forces were eager to hunt down those who had the blood of Ethiopian soldiers on their hands. In addition to the TPLF’s militia and special forces, Tigrayan priests who convinced the Northern Command soldiers to lay down their arms during the confrontation were also targets of the returning Ethiopian soldiers. Fortunately, the presence of the Eritrean soldiers with the returning Ethiopian soldiers minimized the expected revenge killings. Now, testimonials by Tigrayan civilians that confirm the good Samaritan acts of the Eritrean Army have started to emerge. Tigrayans themselves are talking about how the Eritrean Army provided life-saving help to the unfortunate, fed those who were hungry, and provided much-needed security.
Relentless wicked propaganda may obscure the truth, but sooner or later, it is the truth that wins. The testimonies provided by Tigrayan civilians to their fellow Tigrayan YouTubers are evidence of the good Samaritan deeds of the Eritrean Army in Tigray. A link to the original videos of the testimonies is also provided. These testimonials are only the tip of the iceberg. In the years to come, when the dust settles, many more Tigrayans will come out to tell the truth.
Teshome Beyene, From Sheraro, Tigray
“My name is Teshome Beyene. I used to live in a village bordering the Tekeze River in Tigray. During the start of the 2018-2022 war, I traveled from Tekeze to Adi Goshu to work in agriculture. A group of militias from a neighboring region caught me and put me on a truck with 160 other people. Later, they unloaded us from the truck, brutally beat us, and finally shot us to death. I stayed there lying as if dead for 12 days. Later, Eritrean soldiers came to the area. When they found out that I did not die, they picked me up, dressed me in their military ranger uniform, and transported me to the nearby Tigrayan village called Sheraro. They asked the residents of Sheraro Village if they knew me. The elders of Sheraro village identified me as their own and transferred me to the hospital. I cheated death because of the help I received from the Eritrean soldiers, and I survived to tell the story.”
Desta Show from Tigray: YouTube link
Monaliza Abraha, From Tembien, Tigray
“My name is Monaliza Abraha. When the Tigray war (2020-2022) started, I was in Tembien, Tigray, with my grandfather. An Ethiopian soldier came and asked to search our house. After he finished searching, he wanted to rape me. My grandfather said no and fought with him. The Ethiopian soldier shot my grandfather in the leg, attacked him with the back of his gun, and my grandfather fainted. The Ethiopian soldier came to me and asked me to take my clothes off. I told him no. I fought him for quite some time, and later he shot me in my hand and leg. After he left our home, Eritrean soldiers came to our house, probably hearing the gunshot. They asked us to open the door, and my grandfather told them what happened to me. They picked me up from the floor and put me on the bed. They called other soldiers who were a little farther away and asked them to send a car to take me to a hospital in the regional capital city of Mekelle. They warned them I was very young and could die at any time. The car came, and I ended up in the hospital in Mekelle. Although my right hand and right leg were amputated, I am alive to tell the story.”
Nahomxtv: YouTube link
Public Meeting in Gulo Mekeda, Tigray
This is a transcription of communication between the residents of Gulo Mekeda and the administrator of the area during a recent public meeting.
“Mr. Solomon, administrator, we told you people were dying. You often tell us it is bad for our politics and ask us not to speak about it. The truth is, until now, the Tigray people who reside in villages bordering Eritrea were supported by the Eritrean government. The Eritrean government has been distributing sorghum to the needy people of Tigray. We survived because of their help. Now that they have left the border areas, the people are dying. We need help from the Tigray provisional government. People are dying of hunger.”
Solomedia (9:31-13:08): YouTube link
Lessons Learned
The TPLF’s propaganda machine and surrogate social media army worked hard to obscure the truthfulness, honesty, and good deeds of Eritreans and their army. Even though the Eritrean Army was supporting those civilians who were left wounded, feeding the hungry, and advising Tigrayan civilians on how to remain safe during the war, the TPLF and the Tigray provisional government propaganda machines have been directing their sinister blackmail against the Eritrean Army.
During its mission to Tigray, the Eritrean Army had only one objective, which was to stop the missiles that were fired on the Eritrean capital city and world heritage site, Asmara. The people of Tigray and Eritrea are neighbors, and there has never been any hatred between them. As a result, there was no reason whatsoever for the Eritrean Army to hurt Tigrayan civilians. The testimonials presented above confirm this truth.
As for those who blackmailed the Eritrean Army to secure sanctions on Eritrea under the pretext of human rights violations in Tigray, it is logical for them to fail miserably. No matter what, the truth always wins.
Victory to the Masses and Eternal Glory to Our Martyrs.
