It has been quite sometime since we have posted here and there is A LOT going on in the world. So, to re-start things, I thought we should provide an update to a story we brought you in November which you can find here.
When we last reported, Ethiopia was poised to send troops into the break-away Tigray region. Tensions were high and Eritrean involvement was a concern. Our conclusion then was that the prospect for a peaceful resolution looked dim and it appears that we were correct. Almost three months later, Deutsche Welle reports – Amnesty: Eritrea’s Tigray ‘massacre’ might be crime against humanity:
After conducting research with residents and witnesses from the town of Axum, which lies in the northern Ethiopian region of Tigray, Amnesty is in little doubt that mass killings were carried out by Eritrean forces.
The article continues:
Last month, the US called on Eritrean troops to withdraw from Tigray. However, both the Eritrean and Ethiopian governments have denied that Eritrean forces are in the region, which lies along Ethiopia’s border with Eritrea.
Thousands of people have been killed since Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed launched military operations against the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) in early November…
The UN has said around 2 million people need assistance in and around Tigray and 1 million have been displaced by the fighting. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for “guaranteed unfettered humanitarian access,” but entry to the region has been strictly controlled.
While Amnesty seeks a UN investigation into these events, bloodshed continues and a UN intervention appears at least possible. Put a pin in this story if / when troops are asked to stabilize this troubled region and ask the question, for whom are we stabilizing it for?