Jubilee Post News & Views
Special Desk
A war that erupted in the Tigray region in November 2020 is now spreading and intense fighting has been reported in Ethiopia’s Amhara state.
Federal forces as well as Amhara regional troops were involved in fighting Tigray rebels on three fronts, an Amhara official told. This is despite the government saying a unilateral ceasefire declared last month had not been suspended. All sides have accused each other of escalating the conflict.
A conflict between the government of Ethiopia and forces in its northern Tigray region has thrown the region into turmoil. Fighting initiated since November 2020, destabilising the populous country in the Horn of Africa, leaving thousands of people dead with 350,000 others living in famine conditions.
A power struggle, an election and a push for political reform are among several factors that led to the crisis. The conflict started on 4 November, when Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed ordered a military offensive against regional forces in Tigray. He said he did so in response to an attack on a military base housing government troops there.
The escalation came after months of feuding between Abiy’s government and leaders of Tigray’s dominant political party. For almost three decades, the party was at the centre of power, before it was sidelined by Abiy, who took office in 2018 after anti-government protests. Abiy pursued reforms, but when Tigray resisted, the political crisis erupted into war.
The roots of this crisis can be traced to Ethiopia’s system of government. Since 1994, Ethiopia has had a federal system in which different ethnic groups control the affairs of 10 regions. It was the leader of a four-party coalition that governed Ethiopia from 1991, when a military regime was ousted from power.
The situation has intensified since the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) rebels recaptured much of Tigray in a spectacular offensive against the national army in June. Authorities around the country have been mobilising to join the fight, with rallies being held nationwide to encourage people to enlist.
All roads into Tigray from the Amhara region – which lies to the west and south of the war-torn northern state – remained closed, according to the reports.
