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11/06/2020 Ethiopia (International Christian Concern) – This week saw a significant escalation of tensions in Ethiopia, with the federal government declaring war on the Tigray region along the country’s northern border with Ethiopia. Tigray is familiar with the conflict, having been the main site of hostilities in the decades-long conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea. That conflict was technically over in 2018, although independent observers say the reality on the ground is still far from peaceful.
The Tigray region held elections in September in defiance of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s orders to the contrary. Ahmed delayed the national elections originally scheduled for this year, pushing them to a certain time in 2021. In any case, the regional elections in Tigray have intensified tensions with the federal government. The Tigray People’s Liberation Front, the leading party in the Tigray region, has long pushed for separation from the rest of Ethiopia.
This week’s clashes appear to have started with the accumulation of federal troops on the border of the Tigray region. Shortly thereafter, Tigray troops stormed a federal military base in the region, ostensibly in search of weapons. Ahmed has since declared a state of emergency in the region, cutting off all electricity, internet and telephone service.
Ahmed has been criticized by human rights groups for his liberal use of such communications blackouts, which make it difficult for human rights observers to discern what is happening on the ground. His troops have also been accused of serious human rights violations, including the rape and murder of innocent civilians.
Some fear that this conflict could spread to the rest of the country and even East Africa more generally. Ethiopia has long been plagued by ethnic tensions and some have wondered whether the neighboring Amhara region will take advantage of this week’s conflict to run for independence and power. In a separate incident earlier this week, dozens of Amhara civilians were murdered by Oromio’s breakaway forces in southwestern Ethiopia.
Ethiopia is a predominantly Christian nation, and many of the groups involved in these ethnic conflicts are also predominantly Christian. Over 90% of the people of Tigray are Christian, while the Oromio people are largely divided between Christianity and Islam.
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