Tigray American Impact Fund (TAIF) is a US government recognized advocacy.
organization. TAIF advocates for the people of Tigray by engaging with the US.
Government officials, politicians, and other internationally recognized
organizations. TAIF works by presenting evidence of crimes, abuses and human right violations in Tigray to Informs, educates and influence the American policy makers and internationally recognized organizations and the international community at large.
It was first established by concerned Americans of Tigray origin who have witnessed their own family’s subjection to extrajudicial killings, imprisonment for Tigrayan identity, Sexual violence, looting, property confiscation and destruction with what has transpired and that is continuing crimes in
#TigrayGenocid
Since 2021, TAIF engages with US Politicians, promotes public awareness of Tigray American Issues, encourages Tigrayan American participation in the US political democratic process, and advocates for Tigray Americans voice to be heard by US Government officials and policy makers.
TAIF advocates by engaging all Tigrayans and friends of Tigray seeking Justice and calling for accountability for crimes committed in Tigray. Human Right Violations are still continuing without any strong measures taken to stop it by the US Government and International communities. The ongoing Tigray Genocide have been characterized as one of the most catastrophic humanitarian crises of the 21st Century by many internationally recognized scholars, and international media outlets. TAIF, works by amplifying the voice of the victims in Tigray and calling upon the US Government to take a meaningful and practical action that can halt the human right violation that has subjected the People of Tigray to collective punishment by means of prolonged complete siege that has lasted more than two years, communication blackout, continuing starvation and sexual violence used as a weapon of war, destruction of private and public properties, and infrastructures. Deprivation of medical services, medical supplies & medicine. TAIF works to stop human rights violations that have completely ignored international rule of law that is still continuing to violate human rights of the people of Tigray.
TAIF works closely with US elected officials to make sure the rights of the People of Tigray are respected and not violated by internal or external forces that are actively operating in Tigray / Ethiopia. TAIF will continue to work for the expulsion of the Eritrean forces, the Amhara Fano and their partners in crime that are violating the human rights of the people of Tigray by breaking the international rule of law and ignoring the constitution of Ethiopia. TAIF will continue to advocate empower the people of Tigray for their rights to have a transparent democratic and good governance in Tigray/Ethiopia. TAIF will continue to work by engaging and supporting US Politicians, Policy makers and Human Right advocates that fight for the People of Tigray. TAIF will Strongly support US Politicians that participate in the passages of important legislative measures that become laws to protect the people of Tigray in Ethiopia. Furthermore, TAIF will support individuals and or political parties that put efforts to protect human rights by applying further economic sanctions and other punitive measures targeting Ethiopia, Eritrea, and other state players.
TAIF initiates, demands active and ongoing international conferences and other public forums specifically discussing initiatives to stop the war waged up on the people of Tigray by Eritrean governments and Amhara Fano militia groups. In addition, TAIF Support publicly elected officials that support Tigrayans in the US in their efforts towards citizen activism in defense of basic human rights and the rule of law, such as public rallies and demonstrations.
Current Affairs and Advocacy Work
TAIF is currently engaged in advocacy work to stop the Ethiopian Government from violating international rule of laws that directly violates the Geneva convention and UN human rights commission.
AT this time, the Ethiopian Government as It has done several times in the past is engaged in different unlawful activities and threats to terminate the mandate of the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia (ICHREE).
Tigray American Impact Fund (TAIF) Calls up on you, Excellencies, the Permanent Representatives of member and Observer States of United Nations Human Right Council. TAIF like other Human Right organizations, civil society and human right organizations is alarmed by the Feb 15th ,2023 announcement by the Deputy Prime Minister of Ethiopia to the Executive council of African Union that the Ethiopian government is planning to present a resolution at the upcoming session of the UN Human Rights council to terminate the mandate of the international Commission of Human Rights Experts (ICHREE). TAIF on behalf of the People of Tigray urges your delegations to reject any resolution to permanently terminate the mandate of ICHREE and to express your support for the mandate and work of the commission. TAIF like other sister Tigray organizations and civil societies believes the independent mandate and work of ICHREE is crucial to preserve the opportunity for victims of grave international crimes to have access to justice particularly because of the eroding environment for independent media and human right monitoring of conflict-affected areas of Ethiopia.
Ethiopia’s attempts to terminate ICHREE’s mandate during its term is unprecedented. Not only does it suggest that states can politically maneuver to overturn the decisions of the Human Rights Council to avoid independent scrutiny and accountability, but it could set a dangerous precedent regarding international scrutiny and impunity for rights abuses elsewhere.
In November 2022, the Ethiopian federal government and Tigrayan authorities signed a cessation of hostilities agreement While the agreement restored some long overdue aspects of civilian life, including easing some restrictions on basic services and humanitarian assistance, independent effective investigations with a view to prosecution of grave international crimes will be key. The work and mandate of ICHREE would complement the cessation of hostilities agreement which recognizes the need for accountability and #Justice4Tigray…”
Victims of violations and their families in northern Ethiopia, as well as in other parts of the country, have expressed a lack of trust in state institutions and continue to seek greater international attention to their suffering and for action to end impunity. Ethiopia’s efforts to terminate ICHREE’s work would silence the hope and trust that victims have placed in it, including those who have already engaged with the ICHREE in the hope that their stories would be told.
With ongoing human rights abuses, and credible investigations and accountability at the domestic level still elusive, the Human Rights Council and its members should
support those seeking justice and enable ICHREE to continue to fulfill the mandate it was given in 2021: to collect and preserve evidence of serious crimes committed, to identify those responsible, with a view where possible to make such information accessible and usable in support of ongoing and future accountability efforts.
We reiterate our call to members and observers of the UN Human Rights Council to block Ethiopia’s efforts to terminate the mandate of the ICHREE, and to confirm your support for the ICHREE and the protection of the integrity of the Human Rights Council and its mandated bodies.
As you may know the People of Tigray have been subjected to different levels of human right violations within the past 3 years including complete siege that started in 2018 and is still going on, Ethnic identity base extrajudicial killings, massacre, identity-based torture, imprisonment in filthy concentration camps, air drone bombardment, starvation used as a weapon, man-made famine aiming to wipe out the Tigray population by starvation, banking services and telecommunication blockade.
We advocate for policies that will hold the Ethiopian Government accountable for:
Extra Judiciously killing and persecuting the people of Tigray.
Engaging Eritrea to invade Tigray and mercilessly kill, rape, loot and terrorize the people of Tigray for their Tigrayan identity.
The systemic killings of Tigray’s intellectuals and internationally recognized respected political leaders.
We Demand for the IMMEDIATE withdrawal of Eritrea Defense Force and Amhara Fano out of Tigray.
We Demand Ethiopia and Eritrea stop killing innocent civilians and destroying public service facilities and infrastructure such as hospitals, schools and other highly populated areas and public gathering places.
We demand the release of Tigrayan ex Ethiopian ENDF soldiers, and other Tigrayans arrested and put in concentration camps and in prison just for their identity.
We demand the return of many different types of properties, money and other items illegally confiscated from Tigrayans who lived in Addis Ababa and elsewhere in Ethiopia.
We urge the United States to pass bills that ensure the safety, economical & political stability of the people of Tigray.
Allow unfettered humanitarian aid access emergency food assistance for over six million people in Tigray currently under starvation.
The procurement and delivery of medicines and medical supplies to hospitals and healthcare facilities. The Ethiopian government is directly violating basic human rights by wrongly using humanitarian aid delivered to IDP and Tigray genocide victims. such behavior has been demonstrated even after the Pretoria pace agreement. The Ethiopian government officially didn’t declare the withdrawal of Eritrean solders and Amhara Militias from Tigray territories and we demand the US Government #IMF, # world bank not allocate any financial assistance without the implementation of the Pretoria agreement to its fullest extent.
TAIF endorses the implementation of Peace for Tigray and challenges the US legislators to amplify the Peace and Prosperity in the Horn of Africa.
Tigrayans across the United States and the world have called on the US Congress to support HR6600. The bill was initiated on 2/4/2022 and sponsored by Rep. Tom Malinowski calling for Stabilization, Peace and Democracy in Ethiopia. Tigrayans and Peace-loving Ethiopians demand this bill to go past the introduction and become Law.
Link:
https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/6600
https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/3199
As seen above, the campaign to pass HR6600 & S3199 has been muted by Ethiopian and Eritrean lobbying groups that are allegedly funded by these regimes. Meanwhile, both forces continue to persecute, detain, torture, and imprison Tigrayan citizens all over Ethiopia.
This is a human rights violation that is against the Geneva convention.
#EndTigrayGenocide
#EritreaOutOfTigray
#EndTigraySiege
#AllowUnfetteredHumanitarianAidAccessToTigray
#AllowUNIndependent Investigation
#JusticeForTigray
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