- Northern Tigray region of Ethiopia has been put under emergency for six months.
- The Ethiopian government stated that the move was initiated due to conflicts that threatened the sovereignty of the country.
Northern Tigray region of Ethiopia has been put under emergency for six months. The Ethiopian government stated that the move was initiated due to conflicts that threatened the sovereignty of the country. Tigray region and Addis Ababa have been clashing with each other for some time.
When Dr Abiy dissolved the coalition, the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front and merged parties into the Prosperity Party in December 2019, the TPLF which had been part of the coalition refused to dissolve.
The Northern Tigray region, one of the best equipped autonomous regions of Ethiopia militarily also defied the central leadership and held elections despite the announcement of postponement of elections by Prime Minister Abiy . The elections which were initially meant for May this year was reportedly postponed to next year due to Covid-19. Addis Ababa allowed the elections in the region, but soon Tigray administration declared that it will not recognise Dr Abiy’s government beyond October, accusing his government of overrunning its mandate.
The Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed alleged that the Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) had ambushed Ethiopian forces, attacked the local base of the Ethiopian National Defence Forces and “attempted to rob” artillery. Political observers have been cautioning that the problem in Ethiopia could escalate leading to political instability. Ethiopian federal system has been based on ethnic lines. Geopolitical analysts warn that how the ethnically diverse Ethiopian force responds to the situation could determine whether the country or the region, holds together.
