The Transition from Civil War to Peace in Tigray, Ethiopia
Summary from the AllSides News Team
A two-year civil war in the Tigray region of Ethiopia is coming to an end after a ceasefire agreement was struck in November.
For Context: Last week, Eritrean forces began to pull out of some cities and Ethiopian Airlines resumed flights to Tigray's capital. The Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) controlled the Ethiopian government from 1991-2018, after which Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed formed his party and came into power. Tigray saw Abiy's election as illegitimate and held its own election. The TPLF and Abiy's government broke into violence on November 3, 2020. Both sides have reportedly used famine and rape as tools of war, and an estimated 600,000 (mostly ethnic Tigrayans) have died.
Eritrea: Eritrea clashed with the TPLF when they were in power, and has been a crucial supporter of Abiy during the war. Eritrean troops are said to be responsible for many of the atrocities. There are reports of Eritrean forces continuing to rape and loot; Reuters reports that they are withdrawing from 2 major cities, it's unclear if or when they will withdraw entirely.
Peace: In November 2022, the African Union, South Africa, and Kenya helped negotiate a restorative justice peace agreement to end the war. The U.S. has stated intentions to impose sanctions if the agreement is not kept.
How the Media Covered It: The ceasefire was covered more by left- and center-rated sources. Some right-rated sources focused more on religious aspects of the conflict.
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Center
Ethiopia-Tigray Peace Agreement Contains Biblical Mandate
The Ethiopian war in Tigray is over.
On November 2, federal forces and rebel authorities agreed on a “cessation of hostilities,” ending a conflict believed to have killed hundreds of thousands and displaced millions. All sides committed abuses, as documented by the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission and other international observers.
“No one has been clean in this war,” said Desta Heliso, a visiting lecturer at the Ethiopian Graduate School of Theology. “As Christians, we have to feel sorry about this.”
The peace agreement, however, provides for a biblical mandate.
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International partners are heavily invested in ending the war. The AU, Kenya and South Africa helped mediate the truce and are keen to deliver an African solution to the problem. The United States...
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Ethiopia and Tigray Forces Agree to Truce in Calamitous Civil War
After two years of brutal civil war, the Ethiopian government and the leadership of the northern Tigray region agreed to stop fighting on Wednesday as part of a deal that offered a path out of a conflict that has killed hundreds of thousands and displaced millions in Africa’s second-most-populous country.
Senior officials from both sides shook hands and smiled after signing an agreement in South Africa to cease hostilities, following 10 days of peace talks convened by the African Union.
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