Ethiopia is in the middle of a civil war. In November 2020, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019, ordered what seemed like a limited military operation in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region. It was expected to be a quick, low-key war. But the rebel Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), an ethno-nationalist paramilitary group-cum-political party, managed to turn the tables on federal forces. It has now taken two key cities on the highway to the national capital, and is threatening to capture the national capital, Addis Ababa.
Prime Minister Ahmed has called upon all civilians to sign up for military training and join the fight against the Tigrayan rebels. In the meantime, hundreds of civilians have died, thousands injured, and there is a food and communications blockade against the Tigray region, including its capital Mekelle, which is home to half a million people. There have also been reports of massacres and rapes by security forces. What exactly triggered this conflict? How did a Nobel Peace prize-winning Prime Minister end up leading his country into war? With neither side keen on talks just yet, what is the likely roadmap to a lasting peace? We look for answers in this episode.
Guest: Stanly Johny, The Hindu’s International Affairs Editor
Host: G. Sampath, Social Affairs Editor, The Hindu