The Tigray Ethiopia War

War. From November 2020 to November 2022 a conflict raged potentially killing a million people. While the world’s attention has been rightfully focused on the war in Ukraine, that invasion only resulted in up to 100,000 deaths as of April 2023. While atrocities have been committed in Ukraine, they pale in comparison to the rape and civilian slaughter of the war in Ethiopia where the federal government of the country, regional militias, neighboring Eritrea, and fighters from Somalia have been attacking one region and ethnicity of Ethiopia — Tigray. How did such a bloody war start? Why are multiple forces teaming up on one Ethiopian ethnicity? And what were the ebbs and flows of the conflict? Let’s delve into it.

History

Conquered by emperor.

Menelik II created modern Ethiopia by conquering a variety of ethnic groups, including Tigray, and making Addis Ababa the capital. He was emperor of Ethiopia from 1889 to 1913.

Haile Selassie ruled Ethiopia as emperor from 1930 to 1974. He gave Western Tigray to Amhara, which was previously controlled by the Tigrayans. The Tigrayans revolted, but this revolt was put down and civilians were massacred.

In 1974 the Derg overthrew him. They were a violent, Soviet-backed junta.

Overthrown by Tigray led coalition.

In 1991, the authoritarian Derg was overthrown by the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front after a fifteen-year war. The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF)…