[TLM Editorial Viewpoint]
In accordance with our courteous and ethical editorial standards, offering criticism in defence of the people’s cause is not intended to undermine Gelowdewos’ democratic rights, particularly given his repeated false claims. We should not be blind, especially when matters of public interest are at stake. As humans, we naturally hold differing opinions, which we believe is a key aspect of democracy. However, when the stakes are high and genuine efforts to seek justice are at risk, it becomes a moral duty for intellectuals and scholars to remain loyal to the victims of genocide. We strive to deliver a fair and balanced critique on such issues.
Dear Gelowdewos Araya, PhD,
As we share our history with those who refuse to become desensitized and with the emerging generation, we are repeatedly reminded that the glory did not come easily. It resulted from the sacrifice of a generation of remarkable minds, whose lives could have been filled with academic awards if they had chosen self-interest. But they chose to sacrifice and face death so that our Tigray could have a brighter future, with democratic rights for our citizens.
Initially, we believed that the matter concerning Gelowdewos Araya, PhD, would diminish over time. However, it has unexpectedly resurfaced, particularly within specific Tigray media outlets, in relation to the ICC case representing Tigray genocide victims. Some individuals consider this issue minor and unworthy of prominence, while others view it as a distraction from the more urgent challenges confronting Tigray.
As scholars, engaging thoughtfully with current issues and sharing timely perspectives can truly earn more admiration. While we understand that our so called scholars should aim to be balanced, they also have a responsibility to listen to the public’s widely held desires and to be accountable for issues that impact people’s lives. Scholars are, after all, the advocates of the public’s interests. It is part of their responsibility to articulate their positions on sensitive issues, such as the International Criminal Court (ICC) and its pursuit of justice.
Tigray has faced tremendous challenges over the past three decades, enduring injustice, hardship, and violence. The difficulties have only worsened over the past three years, deepening the suffering of our people. These are real and undeniable facts that anyone with an open mind can recognize. We are referring to the recent drama that appeared in ዘሐጉስ ዜናንትግራይ ካብ ዓለም ለኸ ቤት ፍርዲ, Dr Gelowdewos. You owe it to yourselves to recognize this while the wounds remain fresh and open, as many people are losing their lives and hope in our Tigray.
Justice remains an elusive concept, manipulated to gain popularity at the expense of genocide victims. It is a sad saga. I challenge you, on behalf of the victims, to focus on providing solid evidence rather than just writing a petition that addresses the misinformation you’ve shared on social media. You failed twice before, as you ignored your colleagues’ advice, and you went ahead with your couple of pages of petition letters to the ICC. As a scholar and political science lecturer, you should know better about providing a catalogue of evidence for the ICC to look at and bring the war criminals to justice. You just repeated the same mistake again. It seems you are at work purely for your personal publicity.
For clarity, it’s helpful to also explain how you and your claimed organization accused the genocidaires on behalf of the victims. You repeatedly stated that you and your alleged organization accused the Prosperity Party (PP) and other genocidaires to the ICC. No organization or individual is permitted to initiate ICC proceedings before submitting their case to the prosecutor’s office. After submission, all evidence is sent to the prosecutor’s office. Under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) may analyze information on alleged crimes within the Court’s jurisdiction (war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, and aggression), and then the Prosecutor files a motion with the ICC on behalf of genocide victims.
On numerous occasions, either out of sheer arrogance or to garner superficial popularity, you have repeatedly misled the public about matters under investigation by the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP), thereby creating the false impression that a case is under investigation. You have no legal right except to submit the case to the prosecutor’s office. Please cease asserting that you are filing a claim on behalf of the Tigray genocide with the ICC. Shame on you.
In fulfilling our national obligation and responsibility, Justice and Accountability Group (JAG) remains vigilant worldwide against attempts to obscure public awareness of the hazardous implications that could arise if there is no response to condemn such outrageous lies. Nonetheless, we believe the drama that appeared in ዘሐጉስ ዜና ንትግራይ ካብ ዓለም ለኸ ቤት ፍርዲ (Gelowdewos Araya, PhD). is a form of concealment, constructing a fictitious narrative that creates a misleading scenario and distorts reality to gain cheap political drama for social media consumption. That has to stop!
Please listen to Dr Gelowdewos Araya‘s misleading good news for Tigray from the International Criminal Court: ሰበር ዜና 🛑: ዘሐጉስ ዜና ንትግራይ ካብ ዓለምለኸ ቤት ፍርዲ| ክርክር ጌታቸውን ወዲ ወረደ ኣብ ቅድሚ ኣብይ| “ባቡር ናብመቀለ ኪሳራ እዩ” ኣብይ