The Embassy of the State of Eritrea to the US strongly con¬demns and vehemently rejects the unfounded accusations made against the country in the ar¬ticle, “Ethiopia Peace Process Undermined as Eritrean Forces Continue Attacking Civilians,” recently published by Bloomberg (30 November 2022). It is deeply concerning that an outlet presum¬ably dedicated to accurately and objectively informing the public has instead chosen to spread crass disinformation and falsehoods. Regrettably, this is not the first time that the outlet or the particu¬lar authors have made allegations about Eritrea without a shred of evidence.
In the first place, the conflict in Ethiopia was triggered when the TPLF launched a surprise, unpro¬voked attack across all outposts of Ethiopia’s Northern Command on 3/4 November 2020. According to different estimates, between 3,000 and 6,000 federal troops were callously slaughtered in the attack (many as they were sleep¬ing and defenseless). Thousands more were maimed and forced to desperately flee. The TPLF’s war plans included concomitant mili¬tary measures against Eritrea as part and parcel of its hostile poli¬cies of territorial aggrandizement and “regime change” that it had doggedly pursued for almost two decades when it was at the helm of power in Ethiopia.
Unfortunately, throughout the conflict, the TPLF’s major crimes and sole culpability for both launching the war, as well as repeatedly breaking cease¬fires and truces, were completely ignored or downplayed, while it has continually, yet wrongly, been portrayed as a victim. The baseless allegations and disinfor¬mation now being made against Eritrea aim to shift blame and provide wiggle room as the TPLF drags its feet and raises stipula¬tions to avoid fully implementing the conditions of the Permanent Cessation of Hostilities Agree¬ment it signed last month. Recall, too, that the historical record, spanning recent years and past decades, clearly shows that it is the TPLF that has been the main obstacle to peace and the central cause of so much of the tension, violence, and instability that have plagued the entire region.
As a final clarification, Er¬itrea’s regional policy is con¬sistent and clear: it is otherwise firmly anchored on the promo¬tion of regional peace, stability, and economic cooperation on the basis of full respect for the sov¬ereignty and territorial integrity of all countries. Indeed, Eritrea deeply cherishes genuine, lasting peace and stability as it has been affected by externally imposed and intermittent wars in the past decades. As always, it will con¬tinue to work cooperatively with others to play a constructive role toward establishing lasting peace, development, and prosper¬ity in the region.
Around the world, people look to the mainstream media, includ¬ing global outlets such as Bloom-berg, to maintain high standards of integrity, objectivity, and bal¬ance. Unfortunately, in its latest article on Eritrea, the outlet has been cavalier with the truth and widely missed the mark. The Em¬bassy of Eritrea implores Bloom¬berg to cease spreading false¬hoods and strongly encourages it to deal with Eritrea and the region in a truthful and objective manner moving forward.
Source: Ministry of Information Eritrea