But, by the way, why is nobody talking about the war in Tigray?

We had to wait for the fighting to stop to finally hear about the conflict. An “ignored” war, considered to be one of the deadliest in the world, according to Amnesty International, has been raging for two years in Ethiopia. Deaths by the hundreds of thousands in the second most populous country in Africa, a humanitarian disaster, mediation orchestrated by the United States, famine, etc. So much information that normally scrolls in red on the information banners of our continuous news channels. Not this time.

Paradoxically, it is the signing of an agreement between the two camps, the federal government led by Abiy Ahmed, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019, and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), a region in north of the country, which could shed light on this war. The truce could finally make it possible to collect reliable figures on this internal conflict. “If the conditions of the agreement are respected, humanitarian organizations will be able to freely access the region. At that time, there can be a calm assessment of the situation, indicates Roland Marchal, researcher at Sciences Po and specialist in the Horn of Africae. Many of the figures circulating are linked to the propaganda of the various camps. »

“The famous law of death by the kilometer”

But what you need to know above all is that Tigray, a region of six to seven million inhabitants located in the north of Ethiopia and bordering Eritrea, is forbidden to journalists. It is therefore difficult to make the headlines with this extremely deadly civil war. “Communication has been hidden since the beginning of the conflict. Tigray has been under siege for two years,” says Patrick Ferras, doctor in geopolitics and specialist in Ethiopia. Not to mention that, in the media and politically, France is not inclined to focus on Ethiopian news… which is not part of its area of ​​influence on the continent.

“In Africa, France only has knowledge and sensitivity to current events in these former colonies. Ethiopia is part of its blind zone. There is also little immigration from this region to France. At the media level, there is also a kind of competition from hotbeds of news, with Covid-19, Ukraine, and Mali, which is historically an area of ​​French interest. Several factors combine: the famous law of death by the kilometer, but also the approach of the State and the journalistic hierarchy”, analyzes Jean-Marie Charon, media sociologist.

In the early 2000s, the conflict in Darfur, located in Sudan, a neighboring country of Ethiopia, had however aroused great emotion in France. “It took time for the international community to take hold of it and for there to be involvement, tempers Roland Marchal, who also highlights the complexity of the war in Tigray. The conflict began in 2002, and the international community took an interest in it from 2004.”

“Emmanuel Macron only said the word Ethiopia once”

Two years, the length of the war between the TPLF and the Ethiopian government. And the agreement to stop fighting signed Wednesday in Pretoria under the aegis of the African Union in the presence of the Americans, is precarious. “What is not planned is the disarmament of the Afar and Amhara militias which were auxiliaries to the Ethiopian army. The Tigrayans have lost practically everything, they withdraw with nothing, and only obtain the restoration of services and humanitarian aid, details Patrick Ferras. They have lost political credibility. »

In a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, France praised the “wisdom and courage” of both parties after the signing of the agreement. “I understand that the war in Ukraine is closer to our borders. But, during his conference with ambassadors in September, Emmanuel Macron only mentioned the word Ethiopia once in his speech. When we are the country of human rights, we must take an interest in the situation, ”slices Patrick Ferras. Especially since the ceasefire could quickly fall apart. Two days after the signing, the Tigray rebels are already denouncing a bombardment by the opposing party. What encourages the world to take an interest in the conflict?


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