And that may decide the winners of the Yemen war where the UAE and Saudi Arabia are fighting the Iran-backed Houthi rebels. Tedros of trying to procure arms for the Tigray state's dominant political party in addition to . He unseated many Tigrayan officials, charged some with corruption and introduced a set of political. [161], A witness told Al Jazeera that, on 4 December, Eritrean troops entered her town in southeastern Tigray and attempted to rape her; this statement is corroborated by other survivors and witnesses, who spoke of rampant sexual violence, massacres and destruction of civilian infrastructure committed by the EDF. While in Enderta, Abi Adi and Shire, GOAL and IRC reported that 16.6% of children screened had acute malnutrition with 3.5% suffering from severe acute malnutrition. Two years after Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, his country is engulfed in a war with the potential to destabilize the whole region for decades to come, says DW's Ludger Schadomsky. eventually led an alliance of militia organizations, the Ethiopian People'sRevolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), that overthrew the Soviet Union-backed regime in 1991. [286][287], Former head of the Somali National Intelligence and Security Agency, Abdilsalan Guld,[288] claimed that Somali troops were sent to Tigray. Today, the government-affiliated Ethiopian Human Rights Commission said Tigrayan rebels killed scores of civilians in the Amhara region on suspicion of being informants, supporting Abiy's. The Ethiopian government declared the election void, leading to an outbreak of violence between the two sides. Military attacks are once again punctuating the ongoing crisis in Ethiopia. [231][232] Though there were initial hopes of finding a peaceful solution to ending the war, the talks soon became characterized by steadily increasing hostilities between the negotiation parties. Last November, as . News/Politics 2023-01-06T11:02:07.439Z. [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. On 20 December 2021, the TPLF announced they had withdrawn their troops from Amhara and Afar, saying they were hoping to create, as stated by TPLF chairman Debretsion Gebremichael, "a decisive opening for peace." Army chief of staff of Ethiopia, General Birhanu Jula, made the accusations in a televised statement on Thursday. [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. 'Supporting Gumuz rebels' The armed Gumuz militia has been unleashing brutal ethnic attacks on ethnic minorities in Ethiopia's western Benishangul-Gumuz state, where the dam is located. Ethnic militia rush to Tigray border Ethiopia arrests hundreds for alleged support of Tigray rebels Ethiopia's Afar region urges civilians to fight Tigray rebels East . [324][323] There were also reports that Tigrayan forces had gang-raped dozens of women and underage girls in at least two towns in the Amhara Region,[325] and girls some as young as 14 were identified as victims of rape in the towns of Chenna and Kobo in August and September 2021. 1606. Its humanitarian branch, the Relief Society of Tigray (REST), established in 1978, received large amounts of international humanitarian aid for famine victims and small-scale development projects in liberated Tigray. It did little to stop the spread, documents show", "Facebook accused by survivors of letting activists incite ethnic massacres with hate and misinformation in Ethiopia", "Oversight Board raises alarm over Facebook's role in Ethiopian conflict", "Eighteen journalists arrested in Ethiopia, two facing possible death sentence", "Ethiopian media regulator threatens to expel BBC, Reuters, CNN and AP for 'assisting' TPLF agenda", "Ethiopia launches crackdown on journalists and activists", "Journalists Struggle Through Information Blackout in Ethiopia", "In Ethiopia, mass detention signals shrinking press freedom", "Ethiopia: The daunting task of reporting the Tigray conflict", "Number of journalists behind bars reaches global high", "Communiqu of the 38th extraordinary assembly of IGAD heads of state and government Djibouti, Republic of Djibouti 20th December 2020", "Ethiopia's regional Tigray forces name conditions for peace with government", "UN Calls on Tigray Forces to Endorse Cease-fire", "Ethiopia: Government, Tigrayan forces agree to end two-year war", "Ethiopia civil war: Tigray truce a triumph for PM Abiy Ahmed", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tigray_War&oldid=1134199508, Second agreement for implementing the peace deal signed by both parties (12 November 2022), This page was last edited on 17 January 2023, at 13:37. [367], Claire Wilmot, writing in The Washington Post, found that a significant number of new, single-issue Twitter accounts were opened in the immediate aftermath of the Northern Command attacks. [241] On 13 September 2022, the TPLF said Eritrea had taken Sheraro. [242] The town's capture by Eritrea and the fighting in nearby areas displaced around 210,000 people, most of whom fled to the city of Shire. At the end of the day, Ethiopia is avoiding becoming a client State of any nation and is maintaining its strategic autonomy. Amhara comprises 28% of the total population. [368], Facebook has been heavily criticized for its perceived role in fuelling ethnic tensions during the war, and has faced accusations that, in choosing not to crack down on hate speech being spread by Ethiopian users, it is complicit in cases of ethnic cleansing in the country. [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. [204][205] A humanitarian worker citing witnesses said the EDF were fighting the TDF in Berhale, a town in Afar 71 kilometres (44mi) northeast of Mekelle. Ethiopia is strategically located in the Horn of Africa, which is a gateway to major world shipping flows via the Red Sea and the Suez Canal to the Mediterranean. The Tigray rebels were due to disarm within 30 days of the accord but are yet to fully disband their fighting force. The chief executive of the interim. Last August, Ethiopia rejected Sudan's mediation in the Tigray region crisis, arguing that it was a "biased party" in the armed conflict between the Liberation Front and the Ethiopian Defense forces. Disturbing reports have continued to emerge of widespread abuse of civilians in Ethiopia's Tigray region, nearly six months since conflict erupted, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) said on Tuesday. [67][152] The Tigray government vowed to continue fighting. 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. 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. [329] Following the 23 June bombing of Togoga, there were reports of Ethiopian government soldiers firing on ambulances to prevent them from reaching the injured. [348] According to the World Food Programme, while international aid had technically been allowed into the region during the 2022 ceasefire, in practice, very little aid was reaching the people that needed it most, largely due to fuel not being made available in these area. "[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. Vishal Tiwari The Ethiopian army chief has accused the World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus of supporting the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF), Tigray state's dominant political party which is fighting the federal troops. [185] He called on other regions of Ethiopia to mobilise their special forces. Addis Ababa Police Commissioner, Getu Argaw, said those detained had suspected links to the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), the region's once-powerful ruling party the government has since outlawed as a terrorist group. [280], There have been multiple unconfirmed reports of Somali troops being sent from a secret training base in Eritrea run by the National Intelligence and Security Agency to fight against the newly formed TDF. [154] During this time fighting was reported to have taken place around Mekelle, and the ENDF had retreated from rural positions towards the city. Tigray's regional special forces, which a senior Ethiopian diplomat estimates have grown to at least 20,000 commandosled by senior Tigrayan officers forced into retirement by Abiy, plus a . [229] On 26 January, the Ethiopian council of ministers also proposed to end the state of emergency. [251] Three days later, a second airstrike hit Adi Dairo, killing between 50 and 65 people according to aid workers in the town. 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. The Ethiopian government denied involvement in the killing. The federal government had warned of "no mercy" if Tigray forces and residents remained intermingled. The US has abandoned Ethiopia. Aside from Tigrayan rebel forces, he said that much of that area was under the control of the EDF, pursuing their own objectives independent of Ethiopian command. [346][347] All parties to the conflict have been accused by USAID of looting aid shipments. [82][83] A major humanitarian crisis has developed as a result of the war,[41] with famine becoming widespread. [322][323] Such sexual violence is often accompanied with other forms of physical and mental abuse, including burning their victims with hot iron or cigarettes, forcing metal rods or nails into their victim's genitals,[323][315] raping their victim in front of their family members, forcing their victims to rape their family members, calling their victims by derogatory words and ethnic slurs, etc. More than 136 cases of rape were reported in hospitals in Mekelle, Ayder, Adigrat and Wukro in eastern Tigray between December 2020 and January 2021, with indications that there are many more such unreported cases. So, what makes Ethiopia so important that the UAE too decided to defy the US and back Addis Ababa? Caracal International is UAEs State-owned small arms manufacturer and therefore Emirati supplies are crucial for the Ethiopian forces amidst the ongoing Tigray war. [121], In late October 2020, the Ethiopian Reconciliation Commission stated that it was trying to mediate between the federal government and the TPLF, as well as the other regional governments, but that the pre-conditions set by all sides were blocking progress. The intensity of the war has led to spillover effects on the surrounding countries in the region, especially in Sudan. , Ethiopia has managed to decimate the US-backed Tigray fighters with relentless aerial bombardment. [210][211] Authorities in Addis Ababa also told residents to register their weapons in order to fend off the anticipated offensive. Fears Ethiopia Purging Ethnic Tigrayan Officers From Its Peacekeeping Missions", "Ethiopia: Persistent, credible reports of grave violations in Tigray underscore urgent need for human rights access Bachelet", "Men forced to rape family members in Ethiopia's Tigray region, says UN", "UNFPA Ethiopia Response to the Tigray Crisis - Situation report", "Sexual violence as weapon of war spreads to new regions in Ethiopia", "UN experts detail extensive war crimes amid Tigray conflict", "Ethiopia: Troops and militia rape, abduct women and girls in Tigray conflict new report", "Ethiopia: "I don't know if they realized I was a person": Rape and sexual violence in the conflict in Tigray, Ethiopia", "United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Ms. Pramila Patten, urges all parties to prohibit the use of sexual violence and cease hostilities in the Tigray region of Ethiopia", "Tigrayan forces killed civilians, gang-raped dozens: Amnesty", "Tigray rebels gang-raped women and girls in Ethiopia conflict, says Amnesty Int'l", "Tigrayan forces raped women in Ethiopia's Amhara region - Amnesty", "Ethiopia: MSF staff attacked after witnessing killings by soldiers in Tigray", "Three MSF employees killed in Ethiopia's Tigray, aid agency says", "Witnesses: Airstrike in Ethiopia's Tigray kills more than 50", "Ethiopia's Tigray crisis: Four aid workers killed", "Aid worker killed in Tigray as humanitarians are targeted", "Ethiopia: Three MSF staff killed in attack", "Three MSF workers 'brutally murdered' in Ethiopia's Tigray", "Report of the EHRC/OHCHR Joint Investigation into Alleged Violations of International Human Rights, Humanitarian and Refugee Law Committed by all Parties to the Conflict in the Tigray Region of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia", "482 Resolution on the Fact-Finding Mission to the Tigray Region of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia ACHPR/Res. [315] There were "deeply distressing reports of sexual and gender-based violence, extrajudicial killings, [and the] widespread destruction and looting of public and private property by all parties" according to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. [326][327][328], After being subjected to sexual violence, many women become infected with STIs like HIV, who face difficulty getting treatment due to a sense of shame, as well as the collapse of medical infrastructure caused by the war. Abiy has since folded the other three regional parties into his own national party, but the TPLF refused to join. [114][115][116] Several journalists were barred by the Ethiopian government from travelling to cover Tigray's regional election. 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. Click here to subscribe to our free newsletter, Copyright: 1978 - 2020 H H Saudi Research and Marketing LTD, All Rights Reserved And subject to Terms of Use Agreement, https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3171886/ethiopia-accuses-sudan-supporting-tigray-rebels, Ethiopia Accuses Sudan of Supporting Tigray Rebels, Ethiopians who fled the fighting in Tigray cross the Tekeze River into neighboring Sudan (Reuters), Trump to Make First 2024 Campaign Appearance in South Carolina, Egyptian-Jordanian-Palestinian Summit Rejects Israeli Unilateralism, Saved from Death at Sea, Syrian Refugees Face Deportation, Jordan: Army Foils Drug Smuggling Attempt from Syria, Syria Witnesses Dangerous Rise in Cholera Deaths, Warnings of Catastrophe in North, Sudani, McGurk Discuss Bolstering Iraqi-American Cooperation, UAE Looking Forward to Effective Partnership on Climate Issues at COP28, Saudi Crown Prince Launches Investment Fund on Culture, Tourism, Entertainment, Sports, Iraq Says Ties with Arab World Have Entered New Phase, A seagull is seen during a rain delay during the 2023 Australian Open tennis tournament at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Tuesday, January 17, 2023. [389][390] The agreement was made effective the next day on 3 November, marking the two-year anniversary of the war.[50]. Ethiopia consists of three main ethnic communities: The Oromo and the Amhara felt that they were being marginalized by the Tigray minority under the rule of a TPLF-dominated coalition, which funelled a large share of national resources into the Tigray region. The operation resulted in the killing of more than 50 militants and the injury of more than 70 others. This is how the Gulf nation is also known to support the Khalifa Haftar regime in Libya against the Turkey-backed regime. Rebels in Tigray said the government in Addis Ababa has launched a "large-scale offensive." . Abiy also reportedly imports drones from Iran and Turkey to use against Tigray's population, hospitals, and aid convoys. [181], On 6 July 2021, the Tigrayan government mobilised to retake western Tigray from Amhara forces. The megadam to be built on the Blue Nile River, which originates in Ethiopia, has been a point of controversy between Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan. [161] The same month, Somalia's information minister, Osman Abukar Dubbe, confirmed Somali soldiers were training in Eritrea, but denied any of these troops had been sent to Tigray. Once Obamas deputy, President Biden wants to continue this legacy, this time in the horn of Africa. [206] On 31 October, the TDF claimed to have captured Kombolcha, a town 21km (13mi) east of Dessie, and the Ethiopian government accused the TDF of massacring over 100 youths in the town. Photo: Gerald Matzka/dpa, 17 January 2023, Spain, Palma: A man with an umbrella walks past Christmas decorations damaged by strong winds in Palma. statement on the killing of 23 aid workers in the Tigray region since the start of the crisis", "UNICEF Ethiopia Humanitarian Situation Report No. [335][336], Investigations into the war crimes include the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) and Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) joint investigation,[337] and the ACHPR Tigray investigation by the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (ACHPR). Meanwhile, Ethiopian and Eritrean forces began massing in Abala and Berhale in the Afar Region, within striking distance of Mekelle. Resentment has festered futher under current Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who is himself an Oromo. Ethiopia's military accused World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Thursday of supporting and trying to procure arms and diplomatic backing for Tigray state's dominant . Under Obama, the US promoted the Arab Spring in several Arab nations. Since early November 2020, the Ethiopian government and Tigray fighters have been exchanging fire in a conflictthathas claimedthousands of lives and has leftmore than400,000 people facing famine, according to a recent UN estimate. The plan was to overthrow several regimes, like that of Gaddafi in Libya or Assad of Syria. 875,879+ refugees[41] (20,000 missing)[42] [360], UNICEF stated that by the end of September 2022, around 574,000 more people in Afar, Amhara and Tigray were left displaced after fighting resumed in August 2022; they also reported that over 870,000 had become refugees. Oromo comprises 35% of the total population. The Biden administration talks of a humanitarian intervention in Ethiopia, which really shows a desire to force a regime change in the East African nation. [173] The statement also confirmed reports of two massacres in Tigray, stating that 229 civilians were killed in the town of Mai Kadra at the beginning of November 2020, and accusing Eritrean forces of killing 110 civilians in Axum later that same month. Tigrayan leader Meles Zenawiwas Ethiopia's transitional president from 1991 untilpoorly contested elections in1995, when he was elected prime minister. [77] According to refugees, pro-TPLF forces used Hitsats as a base for several weeks in November 2020, killing several refugees who wanted to leave the camp to get food and, in one incident, killed nine young Eritrean men in revenge for having lost a battle against the EDF. [379] In November 2021 (during the 20212022 state of emergency), the Ethiopian Media Authority (EMA) threatened to cancel the media licences of BBC News, Reuters, CNN and Associated Press, accusing the news organisations of having "consistently disseminated news that sowed seeds of animosity among people and compromised the sovereignty of the country." 20 April 2021 Humanitarian Aid. The alliance then began to run Ethiopia under a federal system, with TPLF holdingsway over the other groups and dominating politics for nearly three decades. "[119][53], In late September 2020, the TPLF stated that the constitutional term limit of the House of Federation, the House of Peoples' Representatives, the prime minister, and the Council of Ministers was 5 October 2020 and that for this reason, it would consider "the incumbent" constitutionally illegitimate after 5 October; they proposed replacing the government with a technocratic caretaker government, as detailed in a plan posted on Facebook by the Coalition of Ethiopian Federalist Forces. [265], On 25 October 2022, AU Commission Chairperson, Moussa Faki, announced that peace talks involving the Ethiopian government and the TPLF had commenced in Pretoria, South Africa. The Tigray fighters might have the upper hand, but capturing Addis Ababa will not be easy. How an Indian spiritual Guru solved Colombias decade-old strife, Orwellian Ministry of Truth becomes a reality in Bidens America, Turkey and Greece: A firepower index comparison of all sorts, Norway creates a proxy Wagner agent for NATO, Sex, sleaze, and drugs is what WEF is all about, Trudeau didnt want to face the wrath of Saskatchewan, so he planned to ignore it. Fighters from the northern region have been locked in a brutal war with government forces since last year. [345], According to the UN, in March 2021, out of more than 260 health centres in Tigray before the war, only 31 were fully functional, while 7 were partially functional. Despite the delay, officials in the Tigray region went ahead with regional elections in September 2020. 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 . Michael Makuei refutes the claims saying that South Sudan is not involved in the northern Tigray region violence and has no interest in such an intervention. Image Credit: AFP. But he faces a problem. "[352][353] WHO officials stated that childhood vaccination rates had plummeted from 90% (before the war) to under 10%. [268] By 29 December, federal police were reported to have returned to Tigray,[269] while flights and internet access had also been restored. Other soldiers claimed that the attackers were Amhara Region militias. As per Reuters, Ethiopian forces have carried out aerial bombardment in Tigrays regional capital city of Mekelle for at least four days this week. [291][292][293][294] As of late 2022, the combined impact of wartime violence, famine and a lack of medical access had killed an estimated 385,000-600,000 people,[44] with other reported estimates reaching numbers as high as 700,000-800,000 killed. (AAP Image/James Ross), 17 January 2023, Berlin: Activists walk the catwalk at a performance disguised as an Adidas show during Berlin Fashion Week. [316] As of August 2021, there were 512 to 514 rape victims registered with Ethiopian hospitals;[317][318] however, the real number is probably much larger than that and can be as large as 120,000 by some estimations,[319] and many sources believe the sexual violence in Tigray was intentionally committed with the purpose of destroying the morale of the enemy, to genocide and genetically cleanse certain populations, and to spread STIs as a form of biological warfare. From 26 November to 6 December 2021, Ethiopian allied forces recaptured several towns in the Amhara and Afar regions including Lalibela and Shewa Robit, according to the Ethiopian government. The Tigray War was an armed conflict that lasted from 3 November 2020 to 3 November 2022. "[222] On 12 December, Reuters reported that forces loyal to the TPLF had recaptured the town of Lalibela less than two weeks after government forces and their allies had recaptured control of the town for themselves. Abiy, a non-Tigrayan politician with little ties to the TPLF, enjoyed widespread popularity. Ethiopian military decimates Tigray fighters, Ethiopian forces have carried out aerial bombardment in Tigrays regional capital city of Mekelle for at least four days this week. The International Crisis Group claimed that the TDF now controlled most of the Tigray region. [208], South of Kombolcha, the OLA claimed to have seized control over Kemise on the A2 Highway which links Mekelle to the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa,[61] and later declared they were considering an offensive towards the capital. [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). [66] On 12 November, both parties signed a deal to allow humanitarian aid into Tigray. That coalition, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), went on to rule the country for nearly three decades before a prolonged protest movement brought Abiy to power in. USAs own allies are not with him. In 2018, following anti-government protests, Abiy Ahmed took over as PM and introduced reforms Powerful politicians from Tigray, Ethiopia's northernmost state, accused Mr Abiy of trying to. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. to solve its own power problems and also those of its neigbours. Eritrean Foreign Minister Osman Salih on Monday blamed Ethiopia's Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) rebels for provoking a "major war" in Tigray. 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. [183] The TDF subsequently crossed the Tekez River and advanced westward, capturing the town of Mai Tsebri in the Tselemti district, and prompting Amhara officials to call on its militias to arm themselves and mobilise. [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. The African Union-brokered agreement includes the withdrawal of foreign forces from Tigray, the restoration of basic services and humanitarian aid, and the disarming of Tigray rebels. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. They had been controlling all businesses in Ethiopia when they were in power before they. [169] That same month, an undated video surfaced that purported to show Ethiopian troops executing 11 unarmed men before throwing their bodies off a cliff near Mahibere Dego. To this day it is the only region in Ethiopia where no credible opposition discourse is tolerated. [162], In February 2021, the UN chief coordinator of humanitarian efforts Mark Lowcock said that up to 40% of Tigray was not controlled by Ethiopian troops. [302][303][304] The Ethiopian Government denied the allegations. [184] Following the TDF's rapid advances, Abiy threatened to resume war with Tigray and crush the rebels, raising fears of genocide.

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