What’s happening in Ethiopia?

From November 2020 on Ethiopia rushed into a war against its folk. The troops of the Ethiopian central government are fighting against the “Tigray People’s Liberation Front” (TPLF). The most harmed people are the citizens, which were pushed between the front. That’s why more than a million Ethiopian people are fleeing out of Tigray to other regions of Ethiopia.

The new-old conflict - a short introduction in Ethiopian history and the background of TPLF

Tigray is a region in the north of Ethiopia, which wants more autonomy. The central government forbade that and this was the point where the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) got active. The TPLF is a paramilitary organisation whose goal is getting more rights and opportunities to make decisions for Tigray. The main reason for the new conflict is elections for the regional parliament in Tigray, which the Ethiopian central government prohibited because the election would violate Ethiopian law. After Tigray had conducted its election the conflict escalated which is why the central government, bases in Ethiopia's capital city “Addis Abeba”, started a military offensive to regain control of Tigray.

In November 2020 the Ethiopian government announced that their troops had occupied the second-largest city in Tigray “Adigrat”. The Ethiopian president Abiy Ahmed set up an ultimatum that requested the TPLF to surrender in 72 hours, but the president of Tigray declined this offer. So the conflict continues.

TPLF vs. Ethiopian government and Eritrea - How Eritrea supports the Ethiopian government

A few months later another country in the north of Ethiopia entered the conflict: Eritrea. The president of Eritrea signed a peace and friendship treaty with Ethiopia to suppress the resistance in Tigray. From a geographic perspective, Tigray is now surrounded by enemies. In the South are the other parts of Ethiopia where the central government's troops are moving forwards and in the north is the country Eritrea, which also sends out troops to Tigray to support the Ethiopian government.

War crime and human rights violation - the new weapons in Ethiopia

For a few months, soldiers of Eritrea and the Ethiopian central government have been fighting with the TPLF in the region of Tigray. Benen the soldiers who are dying on the battlefield, thousands, meanwhile millions of citizens are suffering under the conflict. No food, no medical supply and no peaceful life are possible in Tigray. On top of that this conflict is signed by war crime and the violation of human rights. Humans got robbed, young people are getting forcibly recruited and women and girls get raped. These actions are showing how brutal and hateful this conflict is.

How soldiers are cutting of Tigray’s people from international supply

Not even other countries, the European Union or relief organizations can help the people who are in trouble because the troops are blocking the streets to the regions where help is needed quickly. For example, the European Union must set off a help programme, because Konvois with food, water, medicine and other aid supplies were stopped by street blockades of the government. Now the EU wants to resume the program and will invest 54 million euros to support the people in Tigray, but it depends on the Ethiopian government whether the supplies will be accepted or not. Meanwhile only partly supplies are reaching the conflict regions. For the moment it seems not like there is a solution or improvement of the situation on the way and the people in Tigray won’t get enough help and supply they need so much.

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