The Threat of War in the Horn of Africa
As government forces move into the Northern Ethiopian region of Tigray, threatening to destabilise the region, UK citizens can and should respond.
Last night Channel 4 News ran a story that has been out of sight and mind in international media for too long. Footage showed thousands of Tigrayan people fleeing to Sudan as they escape civil war in Tigray, the northern region of Ethiopia. Three years after living in the beautiful, yet crisis-prone, Tigrayan city, Mekelle, I cannot sit by and watch these events unfold. I hope to explain what is happening, why we as UK citizens should act, and what we can do.
What is happening in Tigray?
In 2019, a year after becoming Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Abiy Ahmed was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize for implementing political reforms and releasing thousands of political prisoners after decades of one-party rule by the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF)[1]. A year later his country is on the brink of civil war.
The EPRDF is a four-party governing coalition and has been dominated by Tigrayan elites — the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). Ahmed is of Omoro origin, from the Oromia region, whose people have been subject to state repression. Although one country, Ethiopia is a federation of 10 regions, mainly ethic strongholds historically in rivalry for power. Conflicts often flare up between ethnic group, rooted in a long history of the politics of exclusion and authoritarianism.
In September, Ahmed postponed national elections due to the coronavirus pandemic, yet the Tigray regional government hosted their own, illegally [2]. On 4th November, Ahmed’s national government launched a military operation in Tigray, following an alleged attack of a military base by the TPLF. Amnesty International has recently described the situation in Tigray as a ‘massacre’, with thousands of people fleeing to Sudan — most are children [3].
I spoke with Dr Daniel Mulugeta, an expert on Ethiopia at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), where I have been studying for the last two years. He reminds me that ‘both parties (the TPLF and Ahmed’s Prosperity Party) need to be condemned and be told to break perpetuating the legacy of violent transition of power that has dominated Ethiopian history.’
Why should we act?
Ethiopia faces continued ethnic violence, persistent poverty, devastating floods, a locust invasion and now the coronavirus pandemic. Prior to the outbreak of fighting, reports highlighted that food and fuel were already in short supply in Tigray, with over 600,000 people relying on food aid to survive [4]. The nation now faces civil war, threatening to destabilise the Horn of Africa, with Ahmed acting as an emerging dictator colluding with the Eritrean leader to quell the uprising.
Whilst living in Mekelle, the capital city of Tigray, during a volunteering project with VSO, I witnessed first-hand the strong tensions between ethnic groups. Fighting broke out and, in attempt to stop violence, the Tigray regional government shut down internet and telephone lines and many young men were arrested. Two of my colleagues, young innocent Tigrayan men, were taken to prison, simply for being nearby the clashes.
A similar situation exists at the moment — Dr Mulugeta has not heard from his family in two weeks and I have not been able to contact my friends in Tigray. Speaking to a friend in the nation’s capital, Addis Ababa, she tells me ‘it is so sad, the Tigray region is on lockdown, we’re in Addis and have not heard from them’. A very different lockdown to what we are experiencing in the UK, yet similarly, one that could have been prevented if the interests and wellbeing of citizens were put before national elites.
It is clear no side is completely innocent, but one thing is for sure: the people of Tigray, going about their daily lives in the context of these multiple devastating crises are in the cross-fire. We should not sit by and watch these events unfold. As Mulugeta passionately writes, ‘no war is inevitable; no war is unstoppable. Those who suffer are the people. I think we should raise our voices as much as we can so that both parties can come to a negotiating table for the sake of the people suffering’.
Events such as those unfolding in Ethiopia can feel distant from the UK and we can feel powerless. However, we must use our freedom of speech and protest to act in solidarity with both the affected communities in Tigray and their diaspora around the world. We can put pressure on those in power who represent our voices oversees.
What can we do as UK citizens?
- Spread the word — read and share the links below!
2. Write to our MP to raise the issue and put pressure on the Foreign Office to condemn Abiy’s invasion. Find your MP’s email address here.
3. Donate to organisations exposing this issue or helping alleviate the humanitarian crisis such as Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, UNHCR or the Red Cross.
More directly, my friend in Tigray set up this fund to alleviate the locust invasion. However, at present access to banking in the region has been blocked so, at this time, this route may not be viable.
The situation is very complex, embedded in historical power struggles and authoritarianism, made even more obscure during the current media shutdown. Aljazeera have been covering the crisis well in recent months and I implore more British outlets to do the same.
[1] https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/15/world/africa/ethiopia-abiy-tigray.html
[2] https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/9/9/ethiopias-tigray-region-holds-vote-defying-abiys-federal-govt
[3]https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/11/13/scores-of-civilians-massacred-in-ethiopias-tigray-amnesty
[4] https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/Ethiopia%20-%20Tigray%20Region%20Humanitarian%20Update%20-%20Situation%20Report%20No.%202%20%2811%20November%202020%29.pdf
[5] https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/11/15/who-is-ethiopias-pm-abiy-ahmed
