By René Lefort Posted on Tuesday, 29 December 2020 10:52
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed is a member of the Mulu Wongel (Full Gospel) Believers Movement, which claims 4.5 million Ethiopian members. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri
Who is Abiy Ahmed, the man who has been Prime Minister of Ethiopia since 2018? In Addis Ababa, the question is often met with awkward silence. Yet the answer is vital to any deeper understanding of the present crisis in Ethiopia, and particularly of a war between the federal government and the Tigrayan authorities, which threatens to lay waste to the country and destabilize the Horn of Africa.
Mr. Filippo Grandi High Commissioner United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees,
Geneva, Switzerland
Subject: Urgent call to protect and save Eritrean refugees in the Tigray Region and other Parts of Ethiopia from abduction, killing, and forced repatriation to the war zone
On behalf of the undersigned Eritrean Political Forces (EPF), we are writing this open letter to you to express our grave concerns about the physical security, dignity and the wellbeing of Eritrean refugees and asylum-seekers in the Tigray region and other parts of Ethiopia.
Ethiopian refugees sharing a shelter in Hamdayet, Sudan, the first stop for new arrivals after crossing the border from Ethiopia.
Fleeing Ethiopians Tell of Ethnic Massacres in Tigray War
Tens of thousands have sought safety in Sudan, where they gave accounts to Times journalists of a devastating and complex conflict that threatens Ethiopia’s stability.
Ethiopia is back in theglobal spotlight once again with the outbreak of the war in Tigray. I am saddened but not surprised. For anyone with a cursory understanding of the fragility of Ethiopia’s transitional politics, the escalation of tensions between the federal government and the Tigray state into a full-blown military conflict does not come as a surprise. The tell-tale signs were there for everyone to see as the warring parties openly prepared their respective forces for the eventuality of an all-out armed confrontation.
Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed declares that the war in the Tigray Region has entered its “final phase”.
The conflict broke out on November 4 when the country’s central government accused the region’s local authorities of holding “illegal” elections and seizing a military base. Thousands of civilians have fled to neigbouring Sudan as the federal army advances towards the regional capital of Mekelle.
Tigray politicians have claimed that they are under attack “on several fronts” — including neighbouring Eritrea, with which the region shares a long border. As Regional President Debretsion Gebremichael recently told Reuters, “our country is attacking us with a foreign country, Eritrea. Treason!”
Getachew Reda, a senior advisor to Gebremichael, made more detailed claims about the use of drones:
@AbiyAhmedAli is now enlisting the support of #UAE drones based in Assab in his devastating war against the people of #Tigray. In the meantime, Tigray Defense Forces have targetted facilities in Eritrea including the Asmara airport that are being used to stage attacks on Tigray.
Sat 21 Nov 2020 16.42 GMT Last modified on Sat 21 Nov 2020 20.14 GMT
Confidential papers warn that, despite talk of success, army faces heavy resistance and regional stability is at risk
Ethiopian national forces are meeting heavy resistance and face a protracted “war of attrition” in the northern region of Tigray, a confidential United Nations assessment reveals.