In April of 2020, the current Ethiopian civil war began. It was a fight for independence against the Abiy Administration in Ethiopia. What has happened since then? Why did it happen? Will there be peace?
History
In the 1990s, the Tigray People's Liberation Front had set up a coalition that allowed autonomy from Ethiopia's regions and a tight grip on the central government. Still, it was largely accused of repressing opposition.
In 2018, Abiy Ahmed was elected as the president of Ethiopia, and he had what was received as a good start for ending the recently fought Ethiopia-Eritrean war.
When Abiy Ahmed decided to dissolve the coalition in 2019, he led much malice toward the Tigrayan party—saying that they had attempted to destabilize Ethiopia by creating violence throughout the country.
After doing so, he promised to hold elections that summer, but it was postponed due to Covid 19. This lack of democracy led to the Tigrayan region holding its own regional election, deemed illegitimate by Abiy.
In July 2020, Abiy began military operations in Tigray, accusing them of attacking a camp that housed federal troops. With war beginning, the worst in man would become apparent. Since then, victims have sent multiple reports of humanitarian violations to the United Nations, accusing both sides of committing these violations. Let it be known that the validity of those claims is not concrete.
What the future holds
What one must understand first is that the ethnic tensions in Ethiopia are palpable. It is incredibly deep and intense. The Tigray actively fought for their rights, believed they were denied, and fought for their rights.
So why does that matter?
Ethnic battles are fought passionately. It's been shown to us in the past a multitude of times. The African Union's hesitance to allow diplomats from the EU, US, or the UN into Ethiopia indicates the possibility that Abiy may not be willing to sue for peace. Although, that is only a possibility.
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