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Tigrayan forces pledged to defend their territory
Local authorities in Tigray, in northern Ethiopia, urged the citizens of the region to prepare for a mobilization situation “in defense of themselves against the flagrant aggression” of the federal government headed by Abiy Ahmed.
Fears are mounting that a civil war could break out in Ethiopia after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed rejected the regional authorities’ request for peace talks.
Eight days ago, Abiy Ahmed ordered his forces to launch a military operation in the region, which resulted in hundreds of deaths.
The events came after the Tigrayan Liberation Front rejected the decision to postpone the elections due to the outbreak of the Corona epidemic, and elections were held in the region last September.
Abi Ahmed considered her vote illegal.
Ethnic divisions are increasing in Ethiopia, with some groups claiming their right to autonomy in their regions.
The Tigray People’s Liberation Front, which controls the territory, has been in conflict with the prime minister since he took office in 2018.
What did the Tigra government say?ي؟
The territorial government has declared a state of emergency “to defend the security, existence and sovereignty of the Tigray people,” state Tigray TV reported.
And he warned that “measures will be taken against those who do not cooperate.”
He also repeatedly accused neighboring Eritrea of being involved in the conflict on the side of Abiy Ahmed’s forces. The governments of Eritrea and Ethiopia denied the accusations.
The Addis Ababa authorities claim that their battle is against the regional government and not against the Tigrayans.
Has the civil war really started?
Mary Harper – Edited African affairs
This is dramatic language from the Tigray Regional Command. But it coincides with the same language spoken by the federal authorities (the government of Abiy Ahmed), who have vowed to continue the fight until what they describe as the “criminal military council” led by Tigray is “crushed”.
Much has been said about the possibility of Ethiopia slipping into civil war, as international organizations called for a ceasefire and sought a negotiated solution to this crisis.
But for many Ethiopians, especially in Tigray, their country has already plunged into war.
Thousands of people are fleeing Ethiopia, which has been a beacon of relative stability in the Horn of Africa.
With both sides of the crisis holding their ground and there is no indication of common ground for possible containment of the crisis, fear of continuing the fight is growing.
Ethiopia’s neighbors will be drawn into the conflict and civilians, already living in precarious conditions, will pay the heavy price.
Aid agencies have warned that some 200,000 people could flee from Ethiopia to Sudan due to the conflict.
– The Ethiopian army claims to have killed 550 Tigrayans.
What is behind the conflict?
The Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front was the strongest member of the ruling coalition in Ethiopia for many years, but the head of the federal government, Abiy Ahmed, held back its influence after taking office in 2018.
Relations between the two sides worsened last year after Abiy Ahmed dissolved the ruling coalition, which was made up of several ethnic regional parties.
Ahmed announced the merger of the parties into a single national party, which he called the “Prosperity Party”, but the Tigray Liberation Front refused to join him.
Leaders in the region say they are unjustly purged and charged with corruption charges, saying that Abiy Ahmed is an illegal leader, because his term ended when he postponed national elections due to the Corona virus pandemic.
The dispute escalated in September after the Front challenged a national electoral ban and held a vote that the central government declared illegal.
