TIGRAY WAR

Nikhil Bhagavati, staff writer

Since November 2020, a civil war has been raging in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. After multiple ethnic and regional parties merged into the Prosperity Party led by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front has been at war with the Ethiopian National Defense Force. The TPLF, who have ruled over Ethiopia for the past 27 years, refused to join the new party, leading to increased internal tensions. The TPLF accused Ahmed of not being a true leader because the 2020 elections were postponed to 2021. Tigray forces launched an attack on the ENDF’s northern bases on November 3, 2020, starting a conflict with the federal government. Since then, there have been numerous instances of war crimes, including mass civilian killings. The killings of civilians have led to uproar around the world. It is estimated that at least 10,000 civilians have been killed. It was reported that both sides have been committing war crimes. Children as young as eight are being raped with claims of genetic and ethnic cleansing. STDs, such as HIV, increased dramatically. People have been struggling to receive adequate medical care due to an already failing medical infrastructure. Furthermore, civilians are being used as human shields. In the Amhara region, the TDF held civilians hostage, stopping the ENDF from advancing and in some cases, forcing people to stand in between the active gunfire. These acts led to a joint investigation officiated by the United Nations Human Rights Office along with the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission. Moving beyond government issues, the focus on war has led to famine in Ethiopia as well. Resources and funds that were normally used for agriculture are now used as funding for the war, including farmers. Land, water and even revenue from the capital city are being taken by different ethnic groups. Approximately 150,000 people have died from the famine alone. According to the World Food Program, almost half of the Tigray region needs food aid. Furthermore, on the report of the United Nations, over 2.3 million Ethiopian children are currently in need of humanitarian aid. Even though aid is readily available, the Ethiopian federal government has restricted access inside due to the risks that it poses. On occasion, Tigray forces wearing Ethiopian uniforms have also stopped the import of humanitarian aid. Currently, the Ethiopian government has declared a ceasefire and allowed the Tigrayan forces to take over the capital Mekelle. When the government offered a truce, the TPLF refused to take it, and the war has now spread beyond the Tigray region. The situation appears to be getting out of the hands of the Ethiopian government. Ahmed has encouraged the people to get any weapon they can and fight against the TPLF. “[Ethiopian] people should march … with any weapon and resources they have to defend, repulse and bury the terrorist TPLF,” said Ahmed. Only time will tell if the TPLF can be stopped and if the Ethiopians can get back to living lives that are not filled with fear.