Source: Irob Anina Civil Society

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URGENT CALL TO THE PROVISIONAL ADMINISTRATION

April 27, 2023

There is an urgent need for a solution and the destruction of the people of Irob has reached a very worrying level

It is about six months since Tigray signed a ceasefire agreement with the federal government of Ethiopia. One of the major issues included in the agreement is that invading forces outside the Ethiopian Defense Forces will leave Tigray at the same time as the disarmament of the Tigray Defense Forces. While the Tigray forces disarmed according to the agreement, the invading forces of Eritrea and Amhara forcibly controlled many states of Tigray and continued to massacre, kidnap; They continue to displace and prevent humanitarian aid from reaching the people. Irob is one of the states in Tigray that is being occupied by the invading forces.

Most of the stations in the district have been destroyed by the Eritrean invading forces for more than two and a half years. The people in the stations liberated from the invading forces are also dying of hunger and lack of medicines even after the peace agreement as the invading forces have blocked roads and prevented humanitarian aid from passing through. With the population of Irob being small in number; We believe that it is obvious to everyone that Eritrea is at a stage of extinction where it cannot continue to preserve its identity as it is the victim of repeated attacks by the invading forces and needs an urgent solution. The government of Tigray during the genocide war called for special attention to the prolonged genocide of the Irob people and the Kunama people at the same stage of extinction. After the ceasefire agreement, the Tigray force negotiated with the federal government on behalf of Tigray; We have been calling for an interim administration.

Meanwhile, the On 14/08/2015, the Deputy President of the Interim Administration of Tigray and Head of the Democratization and Inequality Cluster, Hon. When asked by a journalist about the non-withdrawal of the Eritrean invading forces and the extermination of the Irob and Kunama people in particular, he said; General Tsadkan said that they are aware of the destruction and atrocities committed by the Eritrean invading forces against these peoples. One of the things that made it difficult to solve the problem is that the settlement of both peoples is in Tigray and Eritrea. and the Provisional Administration of Tigray.

It is hard to believe that the Tigray Interim Administration and His Excellency General Tsadkan can lose the identity, origin and history of the people of Irob and the land of Irob. The Irob people are an ethnic group found only in Tigray and in Tigray. There is no Irob ethnic group or community in Eritrea. The people of Irob by origin; It is a people whose history and contributions are the center of Tigray and Tigray identity, not the border. The presence of the Kunama ethnic group in both places cannot be a reason for the inability to protect the Kunama of Tigray from extinction. The only way to save the invading forces of Eritrea and Amhara from the entire constitutional territories of Tigray is to ensure the pre-invasion territorial integrity of Tigray.

In response to a question from a journalist, General Tsadkan said that he does not receive a clear answer from the relevant authorities (federal government) on how and when the invading forces can leave Tigray. It is very worrying given the continuing and dangerous extermination of the Irob people. Especially in the stations of Irob where the invading Eritrean army is occupying; We have been receiving insidious information that he is trying to force the people to change their identity saying that they will not leave because they are determined by the Algiers Agreement and the Border Commission.

However, this agreement and decision is not only based on the Algiers Agreement which was soon dissolved by Eritrea. It has no legal and administrative basis and is outside the will of the people and violates the right of self-determination of the people of Irob. Furthermore, the decision of the Border Commission which violates the international laws of the United Nations regarding minorities and indigenous peoples is totally unacceptable and if implemented by force will not only completely destroy the existence of the Irob people but also cause lasting peace between Tigray/Ethiopia and Eritrea. The people of Irob, especially the people of Tigray in general, do not accept this decision at all and the Tigray Interim Administration should not negotiate on this issue at all .

We request the Honorable General Tsadkan and other officials of the Tigray Interim Administration to discuss these issues and other current issues with the Irob community diaspora and elders and people’s representatives in Tigray. The people of Irob have been protesting against the Algiers Agreement and the Border Commission decision for more than 20 years. The request for the whereabouts of more than 100 civilians who have been abducted by Eritrea for more than 20 years has not been answered by the pre-war Tigray and federal governments. Therefore, while we express the need for the dialogue forum, I would like to express the readiness and willingness of the Irob Anina civil society to facilitate the forum.

Part of Tigray is under invading forces and in continuous destruction; There is no part of Tigray that will be peaceful!

Irob Anina Civil Society

Tigray Diaspora institutions and organizations supporting this call:

Legacy Tigray
Tigray Action Committee
ALL of Tigray
Security and Justice for Tigrayans
Dekna Foundation
Health Professionals Network for Tigray
United Tegaru Canada
Tigray Disaster Relief Fund

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