Criticism of Ethiopia’s government has increased recently, after several new attacks against targets in the state of Tigray. The fresh attacks come in addition to the extensive blockade which has led to a shortage of food, medicine and other important equipment in Tigray. Massive criticism The humanitarian situation makes Tigray one of the places in the world where the need is greatest right now. One of those who have been critical of the situation in Ethiopia is the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, who warns that the situation in Ethiopia is about to get out of control. The director of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who himself has family in Tigray, has also spoken out critically this week. He believes that there is now only “a small opening to avoid genocide” in Tigray. This week, Human Rights Watch also came up with a proposal to introduce sanctions against Ethiopia, and among other things, that there should be a halt in the sale of weapons to the country. Previous peace attempts have run aground Today, a close adviser to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed says that the government is ready to participate in peace talks that are planned to start in South Africa on Monday. According to the adviser, it is the commission in the African Union that has called in the negotiations. A representative of the Tigray Liberation Front (TPLF) has been asked by the AFP news agency if they will participate in the negotiations, and replies that they “have already announced that they will take part in a process led by the African Union”. There has been a lot of back and forth about possible peace talks since August, when a ceasefire was broken. At the latest two weeks ago, peace talks were supposed to have started, but they were then postponed for “logistical reasons”. Ethiopian couples all over the world have become involved in the ongoing conflict in their homeland. Some support the government, others support the TPLF. Such as those who marched in front of the White House in Washington with Tigray’s flag. Photo: OLIVIER DOULIERY / AFP Claims use of Russian and Iranian weapons In the meantime, Ethiopia has therefore continued its attacks, to ever-increasing criticism from the outside world. In recent days, Ethiopian forces have gained control over several towns in Tigray. There are many indications that Ethiopia has now gained a military advantage after two years of blockade around Tigray, which has prevented weapons – but also other goods – from entering the state. Ethiopia has also bought a lot of new military equipment in recent years, including from Russia. In July, the state-run Russian news agency Tass also wrote that Ethiopia and Russia were ready to initiate “military-technical cooperation”. The news came around the same time that Russia’s foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, visited Ethiopia. The US has also claimed that Ethiopia has used drones from Iran in the war in Tigray. Disagreement on several points The Ethiopian government and their counterpart in Tigray have disagreed on several things which together have prevented peace talks from starting. Some of the things the parties have disagreed about are: Who should be the mediator and mediate in the negotiations? Should the armed forces in Tigray lay down their weapons before negotiations can begin? Should Ethiopia restore basic services in Tigray, such as internet and electricity, before talks can start? The two parties also disagree on most other matters surrounding the war. Such as what happens from misdeeds on the ground and who carried out the first attack that started the armed conflict. If a peace agreement eventually comes into place, it does not necessarily mean that all challenges have been cleared. Because the Ethiopian government does not necessarily speak on behalf of all its partners. Military groups from the states of Afar and Amhara, as well as neighboring Eritrea, have also taken part in fighting against Tigray’s army. It is far from certain that all these actors will stand behind a peace agreement that the Ethiopian government is negotiating. Large and complicated background The war in Tigray arose after Abiy Ahmed took over power in Ethiopia and carried out several major changes that led to the former rulers of Ethiopia, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), losing a lot of power. Abiy dissolved the former ruling party EPRDF, which was a party in which representatives from several of Ethiopia’s ethnic groups were represented. Abiy instead formed his new Prosperity Party. In addition, Abiy Ahmed wanted to move more power from the state level to the central government in the capital. This would have led to the TPLF losing power in its own state, Tigray. The country has long had a federal model where various state governments have had a lot of power. This model has meant that ethnic dividing lines have remained strong, and that cooperation across states has at times been challenging. But the federal model has also contributed to the fact that various powerful people groups and politicians in Ethiopia have been able to cooperate at national level, while at the same time they also have power in their own state. Abiy’s stated desire was to unite Ethiopia more. This is a vision that was important when he took over power in Ethiopia and implemented the changes that earned him the Nobel Peace Prize. – There is no such thing as “us and them.” There is only “us” for all of us bound together because we share a common destiny of love, forgiveness and reconciliation, said Abiy Ahmed in his speech in Oslo City Hall after receiving the Nobel Peace Prize. Now the situation on the ground in Ethiopia is quite far from what Abiy talked about in Oslo in 2019. Peace Prize winner Abiy Ahmed has received a lot of criticism for waging war against TPLF and Tigray. Photo: Mulugeta Ayene / AP Also massive criticism directed at TPLF To understand the current conflict in Ethiopia, one must also understand the political situation in the time before Abiy Ahmed took over. At that time it was the TPLF that had the most power in Ethiopia, and their policies also made them many enemies. And there are some of these enemies who are today involved in the war against TPLF in Tigray. In the time before Abiy Ahmed took over, there were large protests in Ethiopia against the regime that was then led by the TPLF, and many protesters were killed. Many of these demonstrators came from other Ethiopian states than Tigray, and they believed that the TPLF stood for a discriminatory policy. Ethiopia under the TPLF also received international criticism for authoritarian rule and violations of human rights. Also during the war in Ethiopia in recent years, the TPLF has been met with strong criticism. Forces from Tigray are behind attacks in the neighboring states, and are to blame for massacres against villages. Both sides in the war are to blame for war crimes such as sexual violence and attacks on civilians.
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After several attacks in the last week, Ethiopia opens for peace talks again – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
