His controversial campaign has seen warplanes bombing Tigray and heavy fighting, while the UN says a "full-scale humanitarian crisis" is unfolding, with 36,000 people having streamed into neighbouring Sudan, according to that country's refugee commission. [104][105] After losing the election and being ousted from the federal government, TPLF officials relocated to the Tigray Region, continuing to administer control there while frequently clashing with the federal government. Rebels surveyed the wreckage of a military plane downed by their forces south of Mekelle, the capital of the Tigray region of northern Ethiopia. "[313][314] On 1 November 2021, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed stated that "we should closely follow those who work for the enemy and live amongst us," as reports of a new roundup of ethnic Tigrayans came out of Addis Ababa. Most of these cargo flights landed at the Harar Meda airbase in Ethiopia. The group. Well, the answer is a tough one to digest. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that there had been acts of ethnic cleansing in Tigray. Abiy kicked off a military campaign in the Tigray region, known as Operation Law enforcement, andpromised to swiftly defeat the TPLF fighters. Since the early 2000s, the Ethiopian economy has grown rapidly and has consistently clocked a GDP growth of over 10 percent. [53], On 28 and 29 November, witnesses and survivors, including refugees in Sudan, reported that the Eritrean Defence Forces (EDF) carried out the Axum massacre of about 720 to 800 civilians. [237] Exacerbating tensions were severe food shortages, an issue that remained unsolved have particularly affected the Tigray region. World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has been accused of supporting Tigray rebels TPLF in Ethiopia. Ethiopia's government and rebels from the country's Tigray region said Wednesday they were ready to attend peace talks after the African Union invited both parties to negotiations in South Africa. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is the biggest symbol of Ethiopias growing ambitions. [100] The TPLF condemned the peace initiatives, saying they were hastily made, had "fundamental flaws," and also claimed it was decided on without consulting long-time TPLF members. Thousands of Ethiopian troops supported by artillery, tanks, and airstrikes fought dug-in forces loyal to the Tigray regional government. Template:Campaignbox Tigray war. The Ethiopian government declared the election void, leading to an outbreak of violence between the two sides. [35] . This essentially relates to the geostrategic advantage that Ethiopia enjoys. [356] More than 50,000 people have fled to Sudan due to the conflict. On Friday, even a UN aid plane couldnt land in Mekelle due to the ongoing airstrikes being carried out by the Ethiopian forces. The heads of French and German diplomacy began a visit to Addis Ababa on Thursday to support peace in Tigray, more than two months after the agreement that ended the conflict in this northern . [374][375][376][377][378], The Ethiopian government had engaged in repeated crackdowns on media coverage throughout the war. [349][238] On 25 August (one day after the war resumed), the WFP accused the TPLF of stealing 570,000 liters of fuel meant to transport humanitarian aid. View our. [139] Humera was shelled from the direction of the EritreanEthiopian border for two days around 911 November. Strong winds and rains are currently causing uncomfortable weather on the popular vacation island. But it led to the rise of numerous terrorist groups, the Muslim Brotherhood, and a greater influence of Turkey and Qatar. [345], In February 2021, GOAL Ethiopia, the International Rescue Committee (IRC), MCMDO, MSF-Spain, and World Vision, found that nearly one in seven children in 16 woredas and town administrations across Tigray were acutely malnourished. [188][189] Following the TDF's counter-attack on two districts of his region, the Amhara regional President, Agegnehu Teshager, called for the total mobilisation of all people of all ages who are armed in the region to fight against the Tigrayans. On 20 December 2021, the TPLF announced they had withdrawn their troops from Amhara and Afar, saying they were hoping to create, as stated by TPLF chairman Debretsion Gebremichael, "a decisive opening for peace." Egypt has joined BRICS de-dollarisation campaign, The real reason why US denied giving Abram tanks to Ukraine. Who's getting left out? Of these, this includes: an emergency Intergovernmental Authority on Development summit in December 2020;[386] a joint statement by the National Congress of Great Tigray, the Tigray Independence Party, and Salsay Weyane Tigray describing their eight pre-conditions for peace in February 2021;[387] a mediation group called "A3+1," (consisting of three African countries, Kenya, Niger and Tunisia, and one non-African country, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) in JulyAugust 2021;[388] and a MarchAugust 2022 ceasefire wherein Ethiopian and Tigrayan officials attempted to negotiate a peaceful end to the conflict. It is the second-most populous nation in the African Continent and an ambitious one at that. They are an ethnic group that brutally governed and looted the country for 27 bitter years. [243] A day later Ethiopian airstrikes on Mekelle killed at least ten people. Four other regional governments also made a call to arms. The Emiratis understand that they must prioritize their own interests over Bidens ambition of destabilizing Ethiopia and establishing a puppet regime in the East African nation. [354] On 29 October, UNICEF reported that around 29.7 million people in Ethiopia were in need of humanitarian assistance. Tedros of trying to procure arms for the Tigray state's dominant political party in addition to . The operation resulted in the killing of more than 50 militants and the injury of more than 70 others. Article 62.9 grants the House of Federation the right to "order Federal intervention if any State [government], in violation of [the] Constitution, endangers the constitutional order. [320][315][318][321], Often, soldiers, and militias subjected Tigrayan women and girls, including pregnant women and young girls, to rape, gang rape, sexual slavery, sexual mutilation, and other forms of sexual torture. "[63], After a successful government counter-offensive in response, and then a series of negotiations with the TPLF, Ethiopia declared an indefinite humanitarian truce on 24 March 2022, in order to allow the delivery of humanitarian aid into Tigray. On the other hand, Ethiopia is also getting a lot of support from Russia, which is itself looking to consolidate its position in the Horn of Africa. [227][228], On 7 January the same day as the Dedebit airstrike Ethiopia released a number of opposition leaders from prison, including some from the TPLF, and said they desired to have a dialogue with the Tigrayan leadership. Despite the delay, officials in the Tigray region went ahead with regional elections in September 2020. [187], While the Tigray government claimed it only entered Afar to target federal forces, experts believe their aim was to sever a portion of National Highway A1, a vital trade route for landlocked Ethiopia, linking the capital of Addis Ababa to the Port of Djibouti, from which most of its petroleum products are imported. [285] On 19 January 2021, the Somali government denied the claim that Somali troops had trained in Eritrea and then deployed in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. [65] Rapid mobilization of troops soon followed, with Ethiopia, Eritrea and Tigray reportedly organizing hundreds of thousands of troops against each other by October the same year. [191] The next day, Lalibela was reported to have been seized by Tigrayan forces. [164], On 9 January 2021, Ethiopian TV reported that 300 refugees in Hitsats camp were executed by the TPLF. Because of this, there has been a heightened risk of outbreaks of water-borne diseases and COVID-19. Ethiopia is no small African nation that can be crippled by American intervention. [383][384] By December 2021, the Committee to Protect Journalists described both Ethiopia and Eritrea as the worst "jailers of journalists" in sub-Saharan Africa. [160] However, refugees also spoke of the EDF killing 80150 people in Idaga Hamus on 30 November, as part of a larger series of extrajudicial killings known as the Adigrat massacres. [105] In March, the National Election Board of Ethiopia delayed the general elections originally scheduled for 29 August 2020 to a then-undetermined date, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [200] On 11 October, Ethiopian-allied forces launched coordinated ground attacks "on all fronts" against the TDF with combined arms including tanks, helicopters, heavy artillery, warplanes, and drones according to the Tigrayan government. "[216] Many countries also urged citizens to leave the country.[216]. [197] On 30 September, amid UN concerns about a blockade of aid deliveries to Tigray, the Ethiopian government expelled 7 top UN officials, reportedly because of "meddling" in its internal affairs, giving the officials 72 hours to leave the country. But. July 2021 to present. [334] On 25 June 2021, three Mdecins Sans Frontires workers were found murdered near their car in Tigray. He would go on to rule the countryuntil his death in 2012, and was succeeded by Hailemariam Desalegn. [85][86][87], Following the end of the Ethiopian Civil War in 1991, Ethiopia became a dominant-party state under the rule of the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), a coalition of four ethnically based parties dominated by the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF). Rebels in Tigray said the government in Addis Ababa has launched a "large-scale offensive." . [60] In early November 2021, the TDF, together with the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), took control of several towns on the highway south from Tigray Region towards Addis Ababa, and the TPLF stated that it considered "marching on [the capital]. [140], Offensives of joint ENDF-Amhara Region-Eritrean forces into Tigray were facilitated by the intervention of "Pterosaurus" drones, launched by the United Arab Emirates from its base in Assab, Eritrea. [49][50] The war was primarily fought in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia between the Ethiopian federal government and Eritrea on one side, and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) on the other. 41 other refugees interviewed have also described attacks, looting, and threats by Amhara forces. The International Crisis Group claimed that the TDF now controlled most of the Tigray region. "[56][57] However, the TPLF stated soon afterwards that it would continue fighting until the "invaders" were out,[58][59] and on 28 June 2021, the Tigray Defense Forces (TDF) retook Mekelle; by July the same year, they had also advanced into the Amhara and Afar regions. [Ethiopia] is seeking support in the face of the escalating tension with the United States, which rejects the inhumane conditions in the Tigray region." . [362] One refugee interviewed by Reuters said that if they didn't leave when they did, they would have been killed by Amhara forces. Under Obama, the US promoted the Arab Spring in several Arab nations. Ethiopia's military yesterday accused the World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus of supporting and trying to procure arms and diplomatic backing for Tigray state's dominant political party, which is fighting federal forces. [156] The Tigray Defense Forces were engaged in a war of attrition with popular support from the people of Tigray, who were infuriated by war crimes committed by Eritrean and Ethiopian soldiers and worried about a potential decrease in the region's autonomy. [241] On 13 September 2022, the TPLF said Eritrea had taken Sheraro. "Tigray has handed over its heavy weapons as part of its commitment to implementing the #Pretoria agreement" that was signed between Ethiopia's government and Tigrayan rebels, Tigray People's. A similar call was made in Afar. However, if and when it is built, the megadam will help Ethiopia in generating enough. [181], On 6 July 2021, the Tigrayan government mobilised to retake western Tigray from Amhara forces. By February 2021, about 45,000 civilians had been forced to leave the zone due to extrajudicial killings, arbitrary detentions, and the disappearances of people, especially young men. The aftermath of an airstrike in Mekele, capital of the Tigray region of northern . [201][202] General Tsadkan Gebretensae, member of the central command of the TDF said both sides had been preparing for the offensive for months, and predicted that battle would be "decisive. Eight Groups Join Tigray Rebels Vowing to Oust Ethiopia's Leader The government calls the new coalition, announced in Washington, a "publicity stunt," as intermediaries try to negotiate a. A Sudanese soldier later claimed that Ethiopian forces had launched artillery attacks on them and intruded into the Jebel al-Teyyour area, located 7 kilometres inside Sudan. French and German foreign ministers in Ethiopia to support peace. He pointed out that Sudan and its army do not interfere in the internal issues of neighboring Ethiopia, calling on the leadership in Addis Ababa to work on resolving their conflicts without dragging Khartoum in them. But government officials have not acknowledged a fresh offensive, which Tigray forces say began last week. It is pushing a misleading narrative that projects the Tigray fighters as victims and the Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed as some sort of an aggressor. Post War Ethiopia should ensure its economic interest are not trampled upon, The residents of border districts in Ethiopia and Sudan have come together to make peace a reality, Felix Tshisekedi has sold his country to the very people against whom his army is fighting, Nigeria trashes World Banks false propaganda. "[382] Many journalists, both local and international, have noted the difficulty they face with trying to report on the war, as they risk the possibility of getting either killed or imprisoned by government forces. rebels. Ethiopian federal and Tigray region officials agreed late Thursday at talks in Nairobi to grant the African Union full access to the region to oversee an end to the two-year . [192][193] On 9 August, UNICEF executive director Henrietta Fore expressed concern about reports that over 200 people, including 100 children, had been killed in attacks on displaced families sheltering at a health facility and a school in the Afar Region. Ethiopia claimed the clashes were Ethiopia trying to stop a Sudanese militia which had tried to cross into Ethiopian territory and seize farmlands. Finally, the landlocked nation of Ethiopia borders Djibouti, where many big powers like the US and China have established military bases. The fighters havemanaged to recruitalliesand areapproaching the capital, Addis Ababa. [311] A hotspot for this form of profiling took place in Addis Ababa, including disappearances of major Ethiopian officials and arrests of Tigrayans on the grounds that they supported the TPLF, which was designated as a terrorist organisation in May 2021 by Ethiopian parliament. The UAE is the biggest example of this defiance, and Ethiopia is the battlefield. [102][103] The TPLF, which had long dominated Ethiopian politics, refused to join this new party. [346][347] All parties to the conflict have been accused by USAID of looting aid shipments. [130][131] During the subsequent days, skirmishes continued and the Ethiopian federal parliament declared the creation of an interim government for Tigray. [322], There have been several reported attacks on humanitarian workers, including attacks by Ethiopian government soldiers. However, control over the city was not immediately certain, with the federal government denying its capture and reports of fierce fighting coming from the town. The TPLF fell out of favour in Ethiopia because Ethiopians didnt want it to stay. But since June 2021, the Ethiopian army has endured continued setbacks and, Opinion: Ethiopia at risk of Balkanization, Ethiopia: War in Tigray continues as government stays silent, Tigrayan forces advance toward Ethiopian capital, Olaf Scholz at Davos: 2022 'challenged us as never before', World in 'sorry state' UN chief Guterres, Davos: Social entrepreneurs eye real change, Egyptian activists: We need to talk about abortion, Japan nuclear plant execs acquitted over Fukushima disaster, 'When you see antisemitism, act immediately'. [88][106] In one instance, the Tigray regional government was reported to have defied the federal government and refused to allow Ethiopian Federal Police to arrest Getachew Assefa, the former chief of the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) of Ethiopia and executive member of the TPLF. [262][263][264] Witnesses from a number of towns told the Associated Press that Eritrean forces were regularly killing civilians between 23 and 29 October. [120] Ethiopian elite units were transported to Gherghera base near Asmara, as part of an alleged pact between Prime Minister Abiy and Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki to "strike out of existence the TPLF," according to former Eritrean Minister of Defence Mesfin Hagos. Photo: Mike Egerton/PA Wire/dpa, Trkiye, Iran Support Syria's Territorial Integrity, Unity, Film on Israels 1948 War Shows Palestinian Agony: Director, Jordan Protests to Israel after Envoy Blocked from Holy Site, Lebanon Will Name New Prosecutor in Salameh Case Soon, Judge Says, Bathily Urges Libyan Politicians to Show Same Spirit as Brothers in Uniform, Massive Military Reinforcements Deployed to Contact Lines in Northwest Syria, Turkish Mobilization in Northern Syria Signals Stalled Normalization with Syrian Regime, Study Envisages Connection between Innovation, Financing, Trade with Global Economy, Egypt, China Agree to Develop Strategic Partnership, Lebanons Rahi Rejects Police State, Spiteful Practices, Saudi Arabia, Egypt Stress Need for Iran to Refrain from Destabilizing Actions, Saudi Arabia Accelerates Transition to Clean Energy, Lebanese Officials Remember Hussein Husseinis Wisdom, Moderate Stances, Sadrist Movement: Iran Fears Iraqs Rapprochement with Gulf. 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