Call for Worldwide Protests

 Call for Worldwide Protests - Friday, Jan 8, 2021, and Friday, Jan 22, 2021

 It is clear that Tigreans all over the world have been conducting concerted struggle to draw the attention of the international community to the genocide and ethnic cleansing perpetrated by Abiy, Esayas, and reportedly Arab Emirates Drone bombardments on Tigrai, Ethiopia. It is becoming increasingly apparent that the efforts of destroying Tigrai are being backed by some transactional leaders of some countries including a few from superpower countries who cannot see justice and the peaceful livelihood of millions of people any different than disposable materials for making profits and consolidating power.

In the 21st century, we are witnessing that transactional forces with narrow group interests are forging fronts in undermining the universal values and ideals for justice and peace. These forces are systematically engaged in silencing the voices and interests of people across many regions in the globe. The current reality in Tigrai is no different than this. The inactions on the humanitarian catastrophe in Tigrai is proof that it means nothing to these transactional forces so long as it meets their unlimited hunger for money and power. The calamity in Tigrai and our resultant struggle should, therefore, be seen as a response within the framework of such overt and covert infrastructure of a system of global injustice aimed at re/configuring parties, regimes, systems, countries, and regions in quest of pursuing the narrow interests of these forces. So while we must remain resolute and continue our struggle, we should not be surprised if the international community in general and these forces, in particular, fail to respond to the plights of our people with a commensurate sense of responsibility and urgency.

Albeit, it may be too little too late, yet our concerted efforts so far are bearing some fruits. We are happy to see responses coming from the international community, particularly Europe. This means we have to continue our all-round advocacy, diplomacy, and lobbying efforts to expose all the doers and the enablers of the genocide against our people and hold them accountable for their in/actions on the world stage. To this effect, our challenge to the international community remains simple and linear. On what, moral, ethical, and legal grounds could possibly the world remain silent when about 7 million people in Tigrai, Ethiopia are completely deprived of food, water, basic medical supplies, communications, mobility, and humanitarian assistance for more than 44 days by an unelected dictator? Genocide is unfolding in Tigrai, the world is watching, and history is repeating itself.

As part of our concerted efforts to this end, therefore, we are calling for 2 major worldwide protests for Friday, Jan 8, 2021, and Friday, Jan 22, 2021. We are thus calling all Tigrians and supporters of Tigrai to coordinate and plan to conduct these protests in their respective countries and/or states.

We should also continue holding recurring protests as we see them fit the specific situations of our respective localities, including holding continued protests at UAE embassies around the globe. 

Sincerely,

SJTE and Other Tigrean Associations