Africa’s second largest country
Implosion threatens in Ethiopia: conflict escalates drastically
Hundreds of thousands marched peacefully through the streets in numerous cities across the country in government-organized protests in Ethiopia on Sunday
© DPA
The conflict in Ethiopia is worsening dramatically. The rebels are approaching the capital. The government vows to fight them by all means. Civilians from both sides are in the crossfire, desperately pleading for a peaceful solution.
Africa’s second largest country, Ethiopia, threatens to implode. The conflict between the government and rebels from the northern region of Tigray is gripping growing parts of the country. The conflicting parties are fighting increasingly tough battles. Hundreds of thousands have already fled the violence; around 400,000 people are acutely threatened by starvation. The civilian population on both sides wants one thing above all: a return to peace.
Mass protests in Ethiopia
Hundreds of thousands marched peacefully through the streets in numerous cities across the country in government-organized protests on Sunday to protest against the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and to pledge their support to the army. A few days ago the government declared a state of emergency, which gives Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed a number of special powers. He also called on the population to take up arms against the rebels. Protesters shouted slogans such as “I am the protector of my country” and “The junta (meaning the TLPF) is Ethiopia’s number one enemy”.
The pressure on Abiy is growing, however. According to its own information, the TPLF is less than 350 kilometers from the capital. On Friday, nine Ethiopian opposition factions signed an alliance against Abiy’s government in Washington. The prime minister wanted to form a transitional government through “negotiations or by force,” it said. “Abiy’s time is running out,” said Berhane Gebrekristos, a TPLF leader and former Ethiopian US ambassador (1992-2002). “We want to put an end to this terrible situation in Ethiopia, which the Abiys government single-handedly created.”
“We don’t need foreign interference”
A year ago Abiy had started a military offensive against the TPLF, which had been in power in the northern region of Tigray until then. The TPLF dominated Ethiopia with its around 115 million inhabitants for a good 25 years until Abiy came to power in 2018 and ousted it. Leading members of the Ethiopian army came from Tigray and defected to the TPLF, which enabled the rebels to achieve great success very quickly. The well-trained fighters of the rebel group have practically been on the rise since July.
The protests organized by the government were also directed against the international community. The posters read: “We don’t need foreign interference”. The UN Security Council called for an end to the violence on Friday. The Security Council has scheduled another meeting for the next few days, possibly as early as Monday. The most powerful UN body requires the conflicting parties to negotiate a ceasefire. “Hate speech and incitement to violence and division” must be avoided.
Hundreds of refugees from the conflict regions of Tigray, Amhara and Afar arrived in the capital Addis Ababa over the weekend. One of them, Misganaw Abera, reported to the German Press Agency that she had seen brutal violence and rape during the several weeks of walking. Now she hopes for security in the capital – but is afraid of the government soldiers. Many of the people from Tigray have been arrested in the past few days and driven out of the city in military vehicles. The police confirmed on Saturday that there had been a “cleanup”.
Neighboring Djibouti also affected
The rebels have now been able to gain access to one of the most important motorways in the country and, according to some information, have brought the strategically important cities of Dessie and Kobolcha under their control. According to reports, the militias are also trying to cut the important supply route from the port in neighboring Djibouti to Addis Ababa.
The US embassy in Addis Ababa withdrew US government employees and their family members and advised US citizens to leave the country as soon as possible. Israel’s Foreign Ministry confirmed on Sunday that in view of the tense situation, the evacuation of families of Israeli diplomats in Ethiopia had begun.