Ethiopian civil war leaves thousands dead, millions homeless and region under threat

A nation with a population of almost 120 million is teetering on the brink of total chaos. The unrest threatens to destabilise an entire region.

Ethiopia's cabinet declared a nationwide state of emergency after Tigrayan rebels seized two crucial towns in an apparent push towards the capital. Picture: Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP

In 2019, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize – but today, his country is fast descending into complete chaos.

The African nation of almost 120 million is now on the brink of “all-out war”, according to countless media reports, with an escalating crisis leaving thousands dead and forcing two million to flee their homes.

The crisis began when powerful players from the Tigray region accused Mr Abiy of trying to amass greater power.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed received a Nobel Peace Prize in 2019. Picture: Amanuel Sileshi/AFP

Relations between Tigray and the Federal Government continued to worsen and last November, the PM ordered the army to move into the region, with the backing of troops from nearby Eritrea.

Later that month, Mr Abiy said the issue had been resolved – but clashes have actually continued ever since, and the conflict now threatens to tear the country apart.

The UN has claimed that the year-long trouble had descended into a humanitarian crisis, with around 400,000 living in famine-like conditions in Tigray as of July.

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), civilians in Tigray are in “crisis” after months of “violent clashes between federal and regional forces”.

“Communication networks are down, banking services are halted, roads are blocked and there are shortages of basic supplies,” the UNHCR claims.

“Fearing for their lives and the lives of their families, thousands of children, women and men have been forced to flee into Sudan.

Captive Ethiopian soldiers walk towards the Mekele Rehabilitation Center in Mekele, the capital of Tigray region, Ethiopia. Picture: Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP

“More than 61,000 refugees have arrived in Sudan exhausted and scared and are being sheltered in transit centres near the border.”

And a new report released by the UNHCR this week claims both sides may have committed war crimes, including “summary executions, torture and rape”.

“[There] are reasonable grounds to believe that gross violations and abuses of international human rights law, and serious violations of international humanitarian law, and international refugee law [have] been committed in the context of the Tigray conflict,” the report, written by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission, states.

‘State of emergency’

It comes as authorities this week urged residents to stockpile weapons to defend themselves against the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), amid reports the group was preparing to storm the capital Addis Ababa.

“All residents must be organised by blocks and neighbourhoods to protect peace and security in their home area in co-ordination with security forces, who will co-ordinate activities with community police and law enforcers,” said Kenea Yadeta, chief of the city’s Peace and Security Administration Bureau.

“There will be recruitment and organising of the city’s youth to work in co-ordination with security forces to protect peace and security in their area.”

On Tuesday, Attorney-General Gedion Timothewos also declared a state of emergency after Tigray forces gained new territory.

Earlier this week, an insider also told CNN members of the Tigray Defense Force (TDF) and the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) were nearing the capital, renewing fears the city could fall within days.

A man holds a candle during a memorial service for the victims of the Tigray conflict organised by the city administration in Addis Ababa. Picture: Eduardo Soteras/AFP

‘The epitome of hell’

Ethiopia’s current woes are all the more cruel given Mr Abiy was celebrated for his peace efforts just a few years ago, describing wars as “the epitome of hell” as he accepted his Nobel Peace Prize in 2019.

He received the prize after mending relations with Eritrea and for enacting reforms domestically, which ensured a brief period of peace, but it didn’t take long for things to fall apart, and in May this year, the Oromo Liberation Army promised “total war” against the government.

Since then, Mr Abiy has been slammed for a string of brutal tactics, including suppressing the media and critics, shutting down the internet phone services and encouraging anti-Tigray sentiments among the broader population.

There are fears the capital city could fall. Picture: Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP

And not only is the conflict a tragedy for Ethiopians, it also poses a serious threat for the entire Horn of Africa region, with experts growing increasingly concerned the unrest could spill out over borders and continue to grow.