ECNAS-Toronto-Hamilton-Chapter

A chapter of the Ethio-Canadian Network for Advocacy & Support: Advocating Human rights, Democracy, Peace, Economic Development in Ethiopia/Africa

[ECNAS-Toronto-Hamilton-Chapter @EcnasT]

@JustinTrudeau @GAC_Corporate @stejobin @melaniejoly @EthioEmbassyCA @POTUS @MikeHammerUSA @SecBlinken @AsstSecStateAF @LindaT_G @UN_HRC @OHCHR_EARO @UNOSAPG @IntlCrimCourt @UNHumanRights @amnesty @kettynivyabandi @hrw @LaetitiaBader https://t.co/m2cIWpnl1m

[ECNAS-Toronto-Hamilton-Chapter @EcnasT]

Alarming dev't - Ethiopia: 10s of thousands of young men recruited from Oromia & Southern regions & sent to join z ongoing war in Amhara region that's been under state of emergency for nearly a year. @EU_Commission @IMFNews @KGeorgieva @WorldBank @USEmbassyAddis @antonioguterres

[ECNAS-Toronto-Hamilton-Chapter @EcnasT]

Alarming dev't - Ethiopia: 10s of thousands of young men recruited from Oromia & Southern regions & sent to join z ongoing war in Amhara region that's been under state of emergency for nearly a year. @EU_Commission @IMFNews @KGeorgieva @WorldBank @USEmbassyAddis @antonioguterres

[እስከዳር እምሻው 🇪🇹አስካለ ማርያም @EmishawEskedar]

Ethiopians in Toronto and surrounding areas get ready for the 3rd annual Fundraising dinner & Boat trip hosted by @EcnasT

We count on your support to help those in dire need.
Use the numbers on the flyer or DM here for tickets! 🙏🙏🙏
💚💛❤

[እስከዳር እምሻው 🇪🇹አስካለ ማርያም @EmishawEskedar]

The Holy Synod in Ethiopia and abroad should break their silence and bring forth the religious persecution of Ehiopian Orthodox followers to @UNHumanRights and @Oikoumene. The situation is getting out of hand where people are being killed daily just for being who they are and practicing their Faith which is a basic human right.

@AbiyAhmedAli himself has repeatedly made false accusations and remarks making #EOTC followers targets. His Government has yet to issue a single statement denouncing these killings confirming the action is state backed.

@indefchristians @archbishophenok @Pontifex @Joe__Bassey @EA_DevCouncil @HolocaustMuseum

[ECNAS-Toronto-Hamilton-Chapter @EcnasT]

@IMFNews @KGeorgieva @WorldBank @Dunja_Mijatovic @USEmbassyAddis @AgnesCallamard @UN_HRC @OHCHR_EARO @UNOSAPG @IntlCrimCourt @UNHumanRights @amnesty @TigereChagutah @amnestypress @amnestyusa @kettynivyabandi @hrw @LaetitiaBader @kimheller3 @EthioHRC https://t.co/F6qddy1Vw0

[Ethio-American Development Council (EADC) @EA_DevCouncil]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Ethiopian American Development Council Calls for Immediate U.S. Action on Persecution of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church

March 4, 2024 - Denver, Colorado

In light of U.S. Ambassador Ervin Massinga's recent acknowledgment of the atrocities against the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (EOTC), including the killing of religious leaders and civilian faithful, the Ethiopian American Development Council (EADC) expresses its gratitude for recognizing these grave concerns. However, the recent massacre at Ziquala Monastery is just the latest in a series of relentless attacks targeting one of the world's oldest Christian communities.

In response to these relentless attacks, the EADC strongly urges the United States, the biggest funder of the Abiy Ahmed regime, to adopt a more robust and forceful stance against the ongoing persecution. The campaign against the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church by the Abiy Ahmed regime is not merely an act of religious intolerance but a systematic assault on Ethiopia's oldest institution, a stabilizer and unifier of the nation. The undermining and destruction of this key institution pose a significant risk to the stability of not only Ethiopia but also the broader region.

The EADC calls upon the United States government, including Congress, the White House, and the State Department, to take immediate and decisive action.
The time is now for the U.S. to leverage its significant diplomatic and economic influence, ensuring accountability, and the protection of religious freedom and human rights within Ethiopia.

Inaction in response to such blatant human rights violations is unacceptable. The EADC implores the Biden Administration and the U.S. Congress to reconsider its support of the Ethiopian government and enact targeted sanctions against those responsible for these heinous acts. The time for action is now. #Ethiopia #FreedomOfReligion #OrthodoxUnderAttack #EOTC

CC: @IRF_Ambassador, @StateIRF, @USCIRF, @nadinemaenza, @USCIRF, @IrfSecretariat, @IRFSummit, @Sean_ADFIntl, @UK_FoRBEnvoy, @NazilaGhanea, @TheIRD, @StateDRL, @AsstSecStateAF, @indefchristians, @richghazal, @HellenicLeaders, @PersecutedSave, @markdtooley, @ProvMagazine, @OrthodoxyNews, @MikeHammerUSA, @USEmbassyAddis, @RepJasonCrow @MikeHammerUSA, @AsstSecStateAF, @RepJames, @RepMillsPress, @RepGaramendi, @RepSaraJacobs, @RepKamlagerDove, @RepGaramendi, @RepBrianFitz, @RepKenBuck, @JacksonLeeTX18, @RepBuddyCarter, @RepJamesClyburn, @RepGlennIvey, @RepRoKhanna, @RepBarbaraLee, @RepJimmyPanetta, @RepJoeWilson

[፲ሃዐBA @/𝕏 @iyoba4u]

#Ethiopia'n Human Rights Commission [@EthioHRC] Exposes Sexual Violence in #Amhara Conflict

• The Report casts a stark light on the rampant Sexual Violence that urges an immediate action to address these grave #HumanRights Violations.

Via #BNNBreaking
https://t.co/9UrhKxQWdC

[Ethio-American Development Council (EADC) @EA_DevCouncil]

𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐚 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐄𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐚'𝐬 𝐀𝐦𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚 𝐏𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝: We express our sincere gratitude to the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors (@countyofsb) in California for their historic decision to unanimously pass a resolution in support of the #Amhara people, in light of the harrowing reports of state-sponsored civilian massacare, ethnic cleansing and genocide in #Ethiopia. This resolution, a powerful stand for human rights, underscores the critical role of community-level advocacy in sparking international attention and action.

📍In the wake of this resolution, we call upon the Biden administration to take immediate and assertive steps to address the ongoing human rights violations in Ethiopia. It is imperative that the United States, as the leading funder of the Ethiopian government, leverage its economic, diplomatic and political influence to support the Amhara people and all affected communities, ensuring accountability for those responsible for the atrocities and working towards a lasting peace in the region. #AmharaGenocide

CC: @SecBlinken, @AsstSecStateAF, @MikeHammerUSA, @SenFeinstein, @SenAlexPadilla, @RepAdamSchiff, @RepMaxineWaters, @RepDevinNunes, @RepSwalwell, @RepJames, @RoKhanna, @RepBarbaraLee, @RepKatiePorter, @KarenBassLA, @RepTedLieu, @RepSaraJacobs, @RepJasonCrow, @RepJimCosta, @NaquettaR, @ImanforColorado, @zehabesha, @zborkena, @IRF_Ambassador, @StateIRF, @USCIRF, @nadinemaenza, @USCIRF, @IrfSecretariat, @IRFSummit, @Sean_ADFIntl, @UK_FoRBEnvoy, @NazilaGhanea, @TheIRD, @StateDRL, @AsstSecStateAF, @indefchristians, @richghazal, @HellenicLeaders, @PersecutedSave, @markdtooley, @ProvMagazine, @OrthodoxyNews, @MikeHammerUSA, @USEmbassyAddis, @MikeJohnstonCO, @RepJoeNeguse, @AmericaEthiopia

[Dawit @HOAAffairs]

#StateSponsoredAmharaGencide

[jemal countess @JemalCountess]

A new wave of intense propaganda is being undertaken to silence the survivors and conceal the stories around the victims in what was one of the bloodiest and most brutal episodes in the ongoing genocide against the Amhara people in Ethiopia. We need to revisit Mai Kadra and Humera and tell the survivors stories until they realize justice. MAI KADRA, ETHIOPIA - MARCH 5, 2021: Tilahun Baye, 35, recounts his escape from Samri and TPLF death squads that attacked Mai Kadra and Humera on March 5, 2021 in Mai Kadra, Ethiopia. He states: "I spent November 9, 2020 on the outskirts of Mai Kadra in the farmland. On the next day, in order to save my life me and other laborers started escaping towards Sudan which is 40 kilometers away. But while on our way we encountered 20 to 30 Tigrayan Smari youths and Tigray special forces who are heading towards Mai Kadra after cleansing Amharas in Farm camps. They started shooting towards us, killing some of us dead and wounding others. I was among the wounded, but I pretended to be dead. Believing I was dead they left me, afterwards I escaped and crossed the Sudanese border with the help of other survivors. But once I got to Sudan we saw those youths who killed our friends, claiming they are civilian refugees. When they recognized me they even accused me of being a killer and prohibited from getting medical treatment. On November 15, a Sudanese General took me to a medical center and I returned back to Ethiopia with the help of Ethiopian Embassy". The violence occurred during a wider conflict between the Ethiopian government and the TPLF that ignited on November 3, 2020, when forces aligned with the TPLF attacked the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) Northern Command headquarters in Mekelle, the capital city of the Tigray region and 4 other Northern Command military installations and numerous soft targets. (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images) @RepJames @SFRCdems #amharagenocide #amhara #maikadra #maikadramassacare #canoncps #ethiopia #africa #northerncommandattacks #amharamassmurder #maikadra #canoncpsusa

[Access Now @accessnow]

It’s been 200+ days since authorities in Ethiopia cut off internet access to the Amhara region, leaving people struggling without access to essential communication. #KeepItOn

Restore internet access in Amhara now!

[ECNAS-Toronto-Hamilton-Chapter @EcnasT]

@JustinTrudeau @GAC_Corporate @CanadaFP @melaniejoly @CanadaEthiopia @EthioEmbassyCA @MarcGarneau @SameerZuberi @HMcPhersonMP @Alduceppe @AliEhsassi @ArnoldViersen @AsstSecStateAF @UN @antonioguterres @JosepBorrellF @EmmanuelMacron @EU_Commission @EUatUN https://t.co/dQUkv0ivg3

[Amnesty International @amnesty]

Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) extrajudicially executed civilians in Bahir Dar, the capital of Amhara regional state, and in some cases denied family members the right to bury their loved ones.

Read more 👇 https://t.co/7ESg29LAEM

[ECNAS-Toronto-Hamilton-Chapter @EcnasT]

"Ethiopia: End extrajudicial Executions in Amhara region, bring perpetrators to justice" Amnesty: @CommissionerHR @KenRoth @CommissionerHR @IMFNews @KGeorgieva @WorldBank @Dunja_Mijatovic @coe @UN_HRC @OHCHR_EARO @UNOSAPG @IntlCrimCourt @UNHumanRights https://t.co/dQUkv0ivg3

[Amnesty International @amnesty]

Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) extrajudicially executed civilians in Bahir Dar, the capital of Amhara regional state, and in some cases denied family members the right to bury their loved ones.

Read more 👇 https://t.co/7ESg29LAEM

[ECNAS-Toronto-Hamilton-Chapter @EcnasT]

Stark Warning about Ethiopia! What is Going on? #EU #ethiopia @JustinTrudeau @JBTabah @GAC_Corporate @CanadaFP @stejobin @melaniejoly @CanadaEthiopia @MarcGarneau @POTUS @MikeHammerUSA @SecBlinken @ABlinken @StateDeptSpox @HOAAffairs @NeaminZeleke https://t.co/kBGsha8RFd

[ዳር እስከዳር 💚💛❤️ @DareEskedar24]

ጌታ ሆይ የሆነብንን አስብ የአባቶቻችን በረከት አይለየን ነፍሣቸዉን ከቅዱሣኑ ጋር ደምርልን "አሜን" #ኦርቶዶክስተዋህዶላይ የመጣባትን አረመኔዎች እጃቸው በቅዱሳን ደም የጨቀዬ ፍርዳቸውን ስጣቸው @AbiyAhmedAli @danielkibret
#MerawiMassacre
⛪️ 💔 ⛪️

[ECNAS-Toronto-Hamilton-Chapter @EcnasT]

@ec0n1st ከገቢ አንፃር - በጦርነቱ እና በሙሥና ምክንያት የሚሰበሰበው ታክስ በየክልሉ መቀነስ አንዱ ነው። 2ኛው የልማት ድርጅቶች ከሚባሉት የሚሰበሰበው ገቢ ለፓርክ እና ለፅ/ቤቶች ማሳመሪያ እየዋለ ነው። ከወጪ አንፃር - ጦርነት -ድሮን ድሮን baby!

[ECNAS-Toronto-Hamilton-Chapter @EcnasT]

@IMFNews @KGeorgieva @WorldBank @Dunja_Mijatovic @coe @UN_HRC @OHCHR_EARO @UNOSAPG @IntlCrimCourt @UNHumanRights @amnesty @kettynivyabandi @hrw @LaetitiaBader @kimheller3 @EthioHRC @DanielBekele @AsstSecStateAF @melaniejoly @EU_Commission @JosepBorrellF https://t.co/sovwOecEUO

[giulia paravicini @giuliaparavicin]

An airstrike in #Amhara killed at least 15 including children and elderly three residents told @Reuters. “We first heard an explosion and the area was covered with smoke and dust…We collected 15 bodies…Hands, legs and heads were everywhere a priest said. https://t.co/fcFvhRCQGH

[እስከዳር እምሻው 🇪🇹አስካለ ማርያም @EmishawEskedar]

Imagine the most joyous occassion, baptism of a new born baby turning into a nightmare‼️

This happened in N.Shewa just days after #MerawiMasssacre when @AbiyAhmedAli forces used drones to attack civilians coming back from Church. @UNHumanRights @HRWcanada https://t.co/WaqO5yjBu7

[Andargachew Tsege @AndargachewTse2]

The Hessian Peace Award and Abiy Ahmed

Until an Ethiopian YouTube news channel mistakenly mentioned it as fresh news in its morning broadcast on 23/02/2024, the decision made by the Hessian Peace Award trustees to withdraw the award given to Abiy Ahmed in 2019 had received little publicity. The decision, made in 2021 and publicly announced in 2022, went largely unnoticed. Even well-known TPLF affiliates like Martin Plaut and other staunch TPLF supporters didn't mention the Board's decision until March 2023, nearly a year after it was made. The lack of immediate reaction raises questions about whether there was a deliberate effort to downplay the decision, possibly to avoid embarrassment for the trustees or due to collusion between the TPLF group and the trustees to avoid stirring controversy with the Ethiopian government. It's unclear if pressure from the German government, fearing damage to Ethio-German relations, played a role in the limited publicity surrounding the decision.

What's particularly noteworthy is that the decision to award the Hessian Peace Prize was based on similar reasons as those provided by the Nobel Peace Committee in 2019. However, since 2022, under Abiy Ahmed's leadership, Ethiopia has witnessed suppression of freedoms, extrajudicial killings, mass incarcerations, acts of genocide, and indiscriminate slaughter of civilians using drones. Even the pivotal rapprochement between Eritrea and Ethiopia, a significant factor in Abiy's Nobel Peace Prize, is now hanging by a thread due to his belligerent and war-mongering actions. The question arises whether the Nobel Prize Committee will turn a blind eye to the tarnishing of its reputation and the noble award in the hands of an undeserving figure like Abiy Ahmed or if it will take a stance similar to that of the Hessian Peace Award.

I deeply regret staunchly defending Abiy Ahmed when others suggested the Nobel Prize Committee rescind the award.

Additionally, it's worth noting that when the Hessian Peace Award trustees withdrew the award, they decided not to reclaim the €25,000 given to Abiy Ahmed. However, any respectable individual would return funds associated with an award from which they have been publicly denounced. Had Abiy Ahmed returned the money, or did he keep funds from an organization that publicly criticized and rescinded its award to him?

The decision to withdraw the peace award given to Abiy Ahmed in December and was made public in March 2022. This information is available on the Hessian Peace Prize 2019 page on the PRIF website, Hessian Peace Prize 2019 | PRIF. Following is the reason given by the board to withdraw its Award.

“The Hessian Peace Award is given for achievements or efforts that are in the past, but are linked to hopes and expectations that reach into the future. The awarding of the prize to the Ethiopian Prime Minister in 2019 was linked to the hope that he would continue his efforts for peace on the African continent in the future and advance the libera­lization of Ethiopia. It is in line with the idea of the award to not only recognize efforts to achieve negative peace and the absence of violence, but to recognize commit­ment to positive peace that promotes human rights, reconciliation, and addressing injustice.

The Ethiopian government under Prime Minister Ahmed did not contribute to peace in 2020 and 2021, but proved part of the escalating violence, according to the Trustees. The country's reform course was revised by a return to an authoritarian style of government. This undermines the intentions with which the prize was awarded and justifies the decision to withdraw the prize. The decision of the Board of Trustees aims to protect the prize as well as past and future laureates. There will be no reclaiming of the prize money associated with the award.” @NobelPrize, @PRIF_org @AbiyAhmedAli @TayeAtske @RedwanHussien @DanielBekele @danielkibret @NeaminZeleke @mamamesay
(Photo: PRIF)Peace Minister Muferihat Kamil presents Abiy Ahmed's acceptance speech in 2019.

[ECNAS-Toronto-Hamilton-Chapter @EcnasT]

https://t.co/tIW2mbodwK

[Amnesty Eastern Africa @AmnestyEARO]

This Monday @AmnestyEARO will release a report detailing extra judicial executions carried out by ENDF soldiers in Bahir Dar, Amhara region of #Ethiopia #ConflictinAmhara