On Thursday, tensions surged in the northern region of Tigray as a dispute between the Ethiopian federal and regional government intensified. The deputy commander of the federal army was deploying more troops to the region stating they had entered an expected war.
“Our country has entered into an unexpected war. The war will not come to the center. It will end there,” in Tigray, the deputy chief of the Ethiopian National Defense Force, Birhanu Jula, said on state television.
The chaos began on Wednesday when Prime Minister Ahmed Abiy accused the Tigray People’s Liberation Front of attacking a federal military base and looting equipment. In a statement, he condemned the Tigray party for looking down on the federal army and failing to acknowledge his government. On Saturday, he tweeted that In the military operation he ordered in the state
“aims to end the impunity that has prevailed for far too long” and “to hold accountable individuals and groups under the laws of the land.”
From the look of things, there is a possibility of civil war in Ethiopia, especially as the governments are engaging in military confrontations. While addressing the media on Friday, Abiy said that they had launched airstrikes to destroy ammunitions in the military base in Tigray. Nonetheless, the TPLF retorted that they had modern weapons. Chances are the conflict may spread to other parts of the country.
The onset of Conflict and Tensions
The conflict between the Federal government and the Tigray leaders began back in time when Abiy got into power. For a couple of months, Tigray leaders have engaged in several confrontations with Abiy. They have made allegations of unfair accusations for indulging in corruption and triggering ethnic conflicts. Due to the never-ending dispute between the two, Ethiopians have been living in fear.
Tigray leaders to date do not acknowledge Abiy as the legitimate head of state. According to them, his time in power had already elapsed despite his postponing the elections due to COVID-19. The conflict between the two had degenerated into a monster when Tigray leaders conducted regional elections. Tigray leaders had criticized Abiy’s government for using corona as a scapegoat to extend their time in power. The relationship between the two had deteriorated when Tigray leaders formed their government.
Amid the recent conflicts, Ethiopia’s parliament voted to dissolve the government of the Tigray party. The House of Federation in a statement said that Tigray’s leadership had violated the constitution and endangered the constitutional system. It said that a new caretaker administration would conduct elections and implement the Federal government’s decision.
AU Endorses Peace
Due to the absence of communication networks and the internet, there is not much news on what is currently happening in Tigray. Some reports reveal that the war has spread to the Tigray border and the border with Sudan and Eritrea. The two states have partially closed their border with Ethiopia.
Antonio Guterres, the chief of AU, demanded immediate restoration of peace in Ethiopia. He called on the federal government to find ways to resolve the tensions.
“I’m deeply alarmed over the situation in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. The stability of Ethiopia is important for the entire Horn of Africa region,” he said on Friday.
Meanwhile, Ethiopians in Gondar were donating blood to the Amharas who had sustained injuries during the war.
MORE:
