The never-ending, continuing war in Ethiopia
Another October coming up, and still the Nobel Peace Prize Committee refuses to give Donald Trump his prize. They even gave one to Barak Obama, who was Black and a […]
In a country of 140 million people, Ethiopia has over 10 ethnic groups with more than a million individuals each. The Amharas, the ruling imperial group, have historically conquered and dominated these other ethnic groups. Governing such a diverse nation has proven challenging, as emperors spent their reigns putting down rebellions.
In 1991, the Marxist Derg regime was overthrown, but the country has since experienced multiple internal wars. Abiy Ahmed, a child soldier, veteran of the Eritrean war, and elected member of parliament, rose to become prime minister, representing the Oromo ethnicity, the largest but traditionally marginalized group. His election followed the decline of the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), the third-largest ethnicity numerically, which had been the dominant force for 25 years.
Despite efforts to dislodge them, the TPLF established a strong military and political presence. In 2022, Abiy initiated the fight to bring the TPLF and other ethnic militias under control, leading to the TPLF's defeat and the deaths of an estimated 600,000 Tigrayans. However, tensions have now escalated with neighboring Eritrea, an oppressive dictatorship, and six other ethnic militias effectively declaring war on the Ethiopian central government.
This turmoil highlights the strength of tribalism and nationalism as obstacles to unity in Ethiopia.
Written by urgent.news from Winnipeg Free Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
