Addis Abeba – The National Security Council, led by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, and comprised of senior army, police and intelligence officials, as well as regional state presidents, among others, met and discussed yesterday about the current security situation in the country. Subsequently, the Council announced that it will begin taking measures against “groups and individuals” who it classified into three and accused of being illegally armed and are engaged in disrupting peace and security of the country, and pitting different national groups against one another, as well as depriving the country peace by disseminating false information.
The Council also said that measures will be taken against those that it blamed were “serving as messengers” of Ethiopia’s “historical enemies” and disrupting transport and public’s freedom of movement, investment activities, those engaged in land grabbing, theft, deception and illegal trading, as well as those engaged in hoarding activities in order to increase the cost of commodities, and those who are engaged in smuggling fuel and other products out of the country into neighboring countries.
The Council’s statement came in the midst of increased militarized violence rocking several parts of the country, most notably in Amhara and Oromia regional states. It also comes in the backdrop of increased war of words between the governments of the two states, trading blames and counter blames for the deteriorating security problems affecting the two regions.
The Council classified Ethiopia’s “enemies” into three. Accordingly, it said that the first were Ethiopia’s ever-present “historical enemies” who “will only stop their hostility when this country called Ethiopia is erased from the face of the earth,” the statement said. “They do not work alone to achieve this goal,” instead, they have “messengers” and these messengers “are the second enemies,” it said. It called this category of groups and individuals “Judas” who sell “their own people for money and personal gain” and “stateless strangers” who trade off their country for “a fraction of a dime.”
The Council did not mention anyone group or individuals by name, but said that they were “those who do not live up to their words, who speak in public every day about love and national unity, but conspire with the enemy at night, betray their countrymen, and dig holes to destroy the country.”
The third category of “Ethiopia’s enemy” are those who unknowingly become allies to the above two categories, the Council said.
The third category of “Ethiopia’s enemy” are those who unknowingly become allies to the above two categories, the Council said. “Because they are careless, they are contractors who carry out the mission of the enemy at random, without even realizing its consequences.” It accused this group of as Ethiopians who “accepted something” and talk about it, Or do what they were told to do” or transmit all information given to them “without having to worry about the consequences for their country and people,” the statement said, and added that if ever this category scrutinize the consequences of their actions, “it will only be to regret it afterward.”
“Ethiopia is more tested by these two. Our historical enemies are our well-known enemies. Unfamiliar and unprincipled Ethiopians, however, often cost us dearly without us paying attention to them. How long will it be like this?”, the statement asks, and says, “We all need to pause and answer this question.”
The Council blamed these groups as having “done everything in their power to prohibit the change and prevent Ethiopia from becoming a strong African force” and having “worked hard to divide and conquer Ethiopians along ethnic lines, to weaken the economy, and destroy the institutions that shouldered our country.”
“Now that the security and intelligence institutions are in a better position, we will not hesitate to respond in timely and proportional manner.”
National Security Council
“They have committed all sorts of evil acts by using the media and armed men to destroy our social fabric, burn religious and social institutions, terrorize the public… Although their atrocities are horrific and hurt our citizens, our enemies have not been able to achieve their goals because of the multinational unity among the Ethiopian people and their strong love for their country,” the Council said.
Law enforcement agencies and the judiciary were the two sectors that were faced with institutional fractures prior to the change, the Council said, and blamed that “these institutions were destroyed” in order to achieve the goals Ethiopia’s historical enemies. “The emissaries of our historical enemies, who held power and wealth in the country, had put the law enforcement and security institutions between life and death. After the change, the work done on these institutions has brought them to the point where they can save Ethiopia’s existence.”
“Our historical enemies are our well-known enemies. Unfamiliar and unprincipled Ethiopians, however, often cost us dearly without us paying attention to them. How long will it be like this?”
National Security Council
In order to prepare for a better tomorrow, the administration had “endured many challenges”,the Council said, and vowed that “patience” has now reached its limits. “Now that the security and intelligence institutions are in a better position, we will not hesitate to respond in timely and proportional manner.”
However, the Council said that its efforts to solve the country’s security problems “will require a concerted effort by many parties” and called “every citizen, religious institution, elders, the media and others who work as the people’s eyes, and ears… must be wholeheartedly committed to working in coordination … with security agencies.”
“If the public is a stronghold for our enemies who terrorize and torment us, the efforts of the security forces alone will not solve it,” the Council cautioned. AS
