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. [84][43] It also inflicted immense economic damage on the region, with the cost of rebuilding alone estimated to be roughly $20 billion. [283] The victory of Ethiopian forces over Dessie and Kombolcha in December 2021 was partly due to the drones supplied by Ethiopia's allies. [190], On 4 August 2021, some Agew people declared themselves independent from the Amhara Region and formed the Agew Liberation Front (ALF). [309] During the conflict, many Tigrayans were profiled both professionally and socially, with many fired or called names when out in public as a result of the conflict, such as Tigrayan military members having their weapons confiscated or dismissed from duty. Did Ukraine use innocent civilians as human shield against Russia in the name of evacuation? [180] On 30 June 2021, the TDF had entered the town of Shire, some 140 kilometres (87mi) northwest of Mekelle, after it had been abandoned by Eritrean troops. Meanwhile, the UAE seems to be further assuring Ethiopia about its support. Abiy kicked off a military campaign in the Tigray region, known as Operation Law enforcement, andpromised to swiftly defeat the TPLF fighters. [81] An estimated 385,000600,000 people have been killed,[44] and war rape became a "daily" occurrence, with girls as young as 8 and women as old as 72 being raped, often in front of their families. [citation needed] In Debretsion Gebremichaels order to withdraw all his forces from Tigray borders in December 2021, he mentioned "the drones provided by foreign powers" as a major factor that prompted his decision. However, no one except the US wants to support the TPLF fighters in their bid to break up the nation of Ethiopia. [89][90] He was succeeded by Deputy Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, the chairman of the Southern Ethiopian People's Democratic Movement (SEPDM), a coalition member. [122] As tension continued to grow, a brigadier general appointed by Abiy was prevented by the Tigray government from taking up his military post. [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. [64] However, fighting dramatically re-escalated in late August 2022, after peace talks broke down. And that may decide the winners of the Yemen war where the UAE and Saudi Arabia are fighting the Iran-backed Houthi rebels. [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. Beginning to December 2020. [224][225] Following these developments, the ENDF stated that it would not advance any deeper into the Tigray region. World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has been accused of supporting Tigray rebels TPLF in Ethiopia. DW explains who they are and why they're fighting. President Tshisekedi insists the M23 rebels are supported by neighbouring Rwanda, an accusation Kigali has continued to deny. "There is an outgoing confusion in the social media on the participation of the government of South Sudan in one way or the other supplying arms to the Ethiopian rebels," Makuei said. The Sudanese army regained control over more than 90 percent of its territory, including the al-Fashqa area, which was occupied by Ethiopia, prompting the latter to accuse it of exploiting the domestic situation to attack its lands. Military attacks are once again punctuating the ongoing crisis in Ethiopia. [172] On 21 May, Ethiopia's military prosecutors convicted 3 soldiers of rape and pressed charges against over 50 others suspected of killing civilians in Tigray or committing rape and other forms of sexual violence. [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. 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. [236] Civilians reported that pro-government militias, such as FANO, had gotten involved as well. [354] On 29 October, UNICEF reported that around 29.7 million people in Ethiopia were in need of humanitarian assistance. Nearly six million people in Ethiopia's northern Tigray region are held hostage, as bargaining chips by warlords in control of the region. [101], On 1 December 2019, Abiy merged the ethnic and region-based parties of the EPRDF (which had governed Ethiopia for 28 years) and several opposition parties into his new Prosperity Party. The Tigray War has been the subject of numerous reactions and protests worldwide. Between 13-15 September, Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) fighters shot dead unarmed civilians they suspected of supporting federal forces and local militias, survivors have told the Guardian. [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." and never miss an insightful take by the TFIGlobal team, This website uses cookies. [207] On the same day, the Amhara regional government declared a state of emergency, which included a region-wide curfew. [345], There has been limited access to clean water due to hygiene and sanitation services largely being disrupted across Tigray. [256] According to peace and conflict studies researcher Kjetil Tronvoll, it is likely that 100,000 people had been killed over the preceding few weeks, and alleged that Eritrea and Ethiopia were using human wave attacks to overwhelm Tigrayan defenses. In fact, many of the Caracal International products are in service with a special Ethiopian force called the Republican Guard (RG), which is tasked with defending Ethiopian officials and key buildings. 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 . [30] After a number of peace and mediation proposals in the intervening years, Ethiopia and the Tigrayan rebel forces agreed to a cessation of hostilities on 2 November, which went into effect the day after;[50] Eritrea was not a party to the agreement, however, and their status has remained unclear. [67][68][69][70] Mass extrajudicial killings of civilians have taken place throughout, including in Axum,[71] Bora,[72] Chenna,[73][74] Kobo,[75][76] the Hitsats refugee camp,[77] Humera,[78] Mai Kadra,[69][79] the Debre Abay monastery,[72][80] and Zalambessa. [244] By mid-September, reports emerged of Eritrea engaging in mass mobilization of the country's reservists to be sent to Tigray. But what does the world think of Obama? [389][390] The agreement was made effective the next day on 3 November, marking the two-year anniversary of the war.[50]. The UAE is the biggest example of this defiance, and Ethiopia is the battlefield. Ethiopia is no small African nation that can be crippled by American intervention. The EPRDF government led the country through periodic drought and famine, and the 1998-2000 border war with northern neighbor Eritrea. [350][351], In late October 2022, it was revealed that the Tigray Region was running out of medical supplies, with the CEO of their largest hospital saying it was "doomed to collapse soon. [276][277][278], Since the war began, both regional and international powers have been actively involved in the conflict. [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. 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. [364], In March 2021, Mulu Nega, then leader of the federal-government-appointed Transitional Government of Tigray, stated that Amhara de facto administrators of Western Tigray used violence against ethnic Tigrayans and forcibly displaced them. [205], On 30 October, it was reported that Dessie had fallen to the TDF. But the East African nation is clearly maneuvering its relations between big powers like China and Russia. [302][303][304] The Ethiopian Government denied the allegations. "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. Allegations emerged that the Tigray were smuggling in weapons, leading to the Ethiopian Air Force shooting down a plane, claiming it was carrying weapons for the TPLF; meanwhile, the government was accused of indiscriminate air bombardments on civilian targets. 64 23 January 2021", "Situation Report EEPA HORN No. So, what makes Ethiopia so important that the UAE too decided to defy the US and back Addis Ababa? [109][110], Throughout 2020, tensions between the federal government and the TPLF escalated in the months leading up to November. DW has confirmed that at least two officials of the interim administration were dismissed over comments on the presence of Eritrean troops in Tigray. 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. But he faces a problem. At the end of the day, Ethiopia is avoiding becoming a client State of any nation and is maintaining its strategic autonomy. After the 2020 general election was postponed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the TPLF and some other opposition leaders accused Abiy of delaying the vote to stay in power. 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 . Privacy Policy Agreement * I agree to the Terms of use and Privacy Policy. He accused the rebels of attacking. [251] Three days later, a second airstrike hit Adi Dairo, killing between 50 and 65 people according to aid workers in the town. [66] On 12 November, both parties signed a deal to allow humanitarian aid into Tigray. the murder of saudi journalist and regime critic jamal khashoggi in the saudi consulate in turkey in october 2018, almost certainly at the orders of crown prince mohammed bin salman (mbs), caused an international uproar, and sharpened attention on the saudi role in the war in yemen, and on the impact of the war on civilians- including creating The Ethiopian army announced that it had thwarted an attempt by elements allied with Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) to infiltrate Sudan's territory to the GERD site to disrupt its construction. [151][127], Though TPLF leaders and special forces had already left the city, Ethiopian forces continued their direct assault on Mekelle on the morning of 28 November, and started heavily shelling the city. 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. January to June 2021. 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. [184] Following the TDF's rapid advances, Abiy threatened to resume war with Tigray and crush the rebels, raising fears of genocide. 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. WHO boss Dr Tedros denies supporting Tigray leaders. By supporting the war on Tigray, it might be hoping to get the support of Abiy and Isaias for its internal centralization project. Despite the delay, officials in the Tigray region went ahead with regional elections in September 2020. Ethiopian government forces and their allies have been fighting against the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), the ruling party of the country's northern region, for just over a year. [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. Kaili out, Angel in: Is the EU Parliament starting afresh? The Chinese-made, armed drones bombed Tigrayan artillery and weapons depots. , , Fri Nov 20, 2020 12:00 AM Last update on: Fri Nov 20, 2020 01:51 AM, EU interested to send polls observers for next election: Charles Whiteley, Ukraine's interior minister among 18 dead in helicopter crash, Ressas acquittal raps a win for free, defiant journalism, Outgoing Juventus Chairman Andrea Agnelli to quit board roles at Stellantis, Exor, Philippine Nobel laureate Maria Ressa acquitted of tax evasion, AL's lies became clear through US embassy's statement: Fakhrul, Over 3,500 Rohingyas attempted deadly sea crossings in 2022: UNHCR, Need dedicated hospital for children in every division: PM, Road blocked, vehicles vandalised over custodial death in Gazipur, Moderate to mild cold wave likely to continue, If there're errors in textbooks, they'll be corrected: Dipu Moni, , , . [111] The terms of federal and regional lawmakers, as well as the executive branch, were then extended by federal parliament beyond the October 2020 constitutional mandates. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), all of the functioning hospitals and health centres in Tigray had a lack of medical supplies, drugs, and equipment. "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. To this day it is the only region in Ethiopia where no credible opposition discourse is tolerated. Birhanu did not offer any evidence to support his accusations. [357][309] Communications and travel links were still blocked, and Human Rights Watch warned that "actions that deliberately impede relief supplies" would violate international humanitarian law. [66], All sides, particularly the ENDF, EDF, and TDF, have committed war crimes during the conflict. The frequent Emirati cargo flights to Ethiopia make it clear that the United Arab Emirates is not abandoning Ethiopia. [385], Several proposals for peace negotiations and mediation were made involving some of the main groups involved in the war. [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. 5: Conflict in the Horn", "In Pictures: Eritrean refugees caught in crossfire in Ethiopia", "Ethiopia: Militant attack on passenger bus near Adi Mesino, Tigray Region, leaves at least six people dead, 10 others injured Feb. 18", "Tigray Defense Forces Resist Ethiopian Army Offensive as Sudan, Eritrea, and Ethnic Militias Enter the Fray", "News Highlights Extra No. Therefore, Arab nations and Iran want to shore up their influence in Ethiopia in order to gain an advantage in the conflict-ridden nation. 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