Disinformation Undermining Ethiopia's Vital Interest
Somalia has been in the news arousing unbridled interest, in some cases bordering fascination, particularly in media outlets supposed to disseminate objective and realistic information without adulterating them with impressions of their own, more often than not biased representation of the situation on the ground. Lack of objectivity and truthfulness in news reports coming out of Mogadishu has been a source of concern to the peoples of Somalia and Ethiopia presently investing a great deal in restoring peace and normalcy to the beleaguered nation. The UIC, with the extremists at the core of its leadership had compounded the misery of the people imposing will by force and threatening to destabilize the volatile sub-region by resurrecting an irredentist ideology which endangered the sovereignty of Ethiopia, and had the potential to unleash a crisis in the Horn. Like any other nation in the world, Ethiopia, in defense of its sovereignty, has taken action against the terrorists that descended upon Mogadishu, to quell the threat they posed to its national security. Following the demise of the group, some of the remnants and the international terrorists that took refuge in the capital Mogadishu were regrouping enlisting the help of some clan leaders affiliated to them. The same people wrongly felt they were threatened by the Somali government, the TFG, which they believed might consider redressing committed crimes and mayhem suffered by the Somali people in the hands of those who had the sway over the years. Ethiopian troops were camped in designated area in Mogadishu with the approval of the clan leaders and Somali elders who sought and requested their presence in the city. Highly cautious and determined to minimize civilian casualties, the defense forces of Ethiopia were circumventing populated areas particularly cities in their hot pursuit of the terrorists. Resolute to carry out their mission, namely that of neutralizing the terrorist forces as an organized military formation, the Ethiopian defense forces after a series of discussion and consultations with concerned clan leaders have redeployed in the belief this would allow the clans alienate the terrorist groups, distancing their militia and by so doing minimizing corollary damages in case of an ensuing confrontation. But they reneged on the pledges they made thinking the terrorists might prevail. But that was the wildest of imaginations. The Prime Minister was referring to this wrongly placed trust when he said 'we were wrong.' We shouldn't have relied on them. In what appears to be a complete distortion and misrepresentation, the Prime Minister was maliciously quoted out of context to prove the 'credence' of the baseless preaching and self-serving analysis of pundits adamantly claiming the situation in Somalia, for which they blame Ethiopia, is akin to the insurgency in Iraq. Stephanie McCrumen, in her latest fallacious and prejudiced report has misquoted Prime Minister Meles saying that he had admitted "making a wrong political calculation" when Ethiopia intervened in Somalia. Time and again, almost in all press conferences he gave in connection with the Somalia, the Prime Minister has made it abundantly clear that the Ethiopian defense forces entered Somalia to crush terrorists conniving with anti-peace forces to destabilize Ethiopia and impede advances it has made in denting poverty. And as a sovereign state, no one could deny Ethiopia its legitimate right to self-defense, enshrined in both the AU and the UN charters. Abusing the trust and professional integrity readers expect from every journalist in the conduct of their duty, McCrumen has, I suppose, insulted the conscience of the esteemed readership, particularly of the Washington Post, that a government that takes itself seriously, would consider defending the nation and its people as something to be done with the approval of others, far and near. Otherwise, what is wrong in defending your territorial integrity when there are irrefutable circumstantial evidences of a clear and present danger? Why all the fuss and commotion to prove Ethiopia wrong? Like the so-called analysts, the writer's intention seems to belittle the wisdom and competence of a government delivering on its duties and responsibilities of protecting its people from terrorist attacks and the looming danger in the horizon unless expeditious measures are taken in time. The whole exercise of writing the article could only be undermining the vital interest of Ethiopia, a country ready to resolve all differences through negotiation and dialogue. Unless principles are changing with changing interests
and whims of journalists, the press would not afford to overlook accuracy
without compromising credibility. What the Prime Minister said is on record
and misconstruing his ideas out of context could only be explained in
terms of ill-conceived and self-serving motives.
|