Ethiopian activist pens scathing letter on “BBC’s bias on the war in Tigray”: They are ‘misleading the world by downplaying the atrocities’

This opinion article was written and sent to Today News Africa in Washington D.C. by Goitom Aregawi, a medical doctor who used to work in Mekelle University Hospital. Aregawi is the chairman of Seb-Hidri Civil Society Tigray, a writer, a social influencer and an activist. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent an endorsement by Today News Africa.

During the 1984/85 drought and famine in Ethiopia that affected predominantly the then Tigray and Wollo provinces, a BBC crew led by Michael Buerk set foot to one of the worst hit  districts in Tigray.  Michael Buerk described  the catastrophe as  a “Biblical Famine”and  “the closest thing to hell on Earth.”  Buerk’s news story on the BBC with  images shot by the late Kenyan cameraman Mohammed Amin was the reason for the popular Irish singer-songwriter Bob Geldof to organize the charity supergroup ‘Band Aid.’ “Do They Know It’s Christmas?”, was released on 3 December 1984. Other charity singles followed; “We Are the World” was the most successful of these. The Live Aid concert raised £145 million in total that helped to save millions of lives.