Ethiopia is suddenly on brink of civil war

Suddenly Ethiopia appears on the brink of civil war, threatening the stability of one of the world’s most strategic regions, the Horn of Africa, and the fracturing of one of Africa’s most powerful and populous countries.

Daily Current Affairs Quiz 2020

Key-Points

The Tigray Region is the northernmost of the nine regions (kililat) of Ethiopia.

Tigray is the homeland of the Tigrayan, Irob and Kunama peoples.

Tigray is also known as Region 1 according to the federal constitution.

Its capital and largest city is Mekelle.

Tigray is bordered by Eritrea to the north, Sudan to the west, the Amhara Region to the south and the Afar Region to the east and south east.

In early November 2020, the region and the Ethiopian federal government entered into conflict, with some gunfire being reported in the capital of Tigray, Mekelle.

The conflict escalated in September, when Tigray held local elections in insubordination of the Ethiopian federal government. These elections were considered “illegal” by the federal government, further leading to conflict with Tigray authorities.