Escalation of Tigray crisis
Date: 12 November 2021 Tags: MiscellaneousIssue
The crisis between the Ethiopian government forces and rebel forces of Tigray could escalate into a full blown war if not controlled.
Background
The UN assumes that a civil war is in offering if the fighting in country’s northern region does not stop.
Details
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A UN report says that seven million people are in urgent need of food aid and no trucks have been able to reach capital of Tigray.
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The conflict started in November last year when Ethiopian Prime Minister ordered a military action against rebel forces in the northern region of Tigray.
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The reason for conflict were years of disagreements that started between the Abiy government and political leaders in Tigray, as a result of reforms.
The escalation
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The conflict started as a domestic problem but became an international crisis after it spread outside the country’s borders due to refugee crisis.
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There were incidents of women and girl facing sexual and physical violence during the conflict. Rape was being used as tool of intimidation.
Underlying reasons
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Ethiopia is federal republic with each of its 10 provinces having independence on ethnic lines. The constitution gives them powers to secede.
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A similar incident happened in 1990s when Ethiopia’s province, Eritrea gained full independence using western support.
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The Prime Minister does not want the incident to be repeated and has taken measures to democratize the country, which is not acceptable to political leaders of Tigray.