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Africa Horn
Who are the Tigray fighters, and why is Ethiopia at war with them?
2021-11-07
[DW] A year ago, Æthiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed launched a military campaign against Tigray fighters, promising a quick victory. But Tigrayans managed to turn the tide. DW explains who they are and why they're fighting.

FROM BANDIDOS GUNNIES TO RULERS
In the mid-1970s, a small group of bandidos gunnies founded the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF). With a left-wing nationalist ideology, they vowed to fight for the rights of Tigrayans, a relatively small ethnic group that account for just 5% of the population and had long been marginalized by the central government.

Throughout the 1980s the TPLF emerged as a formidable challenger to Æthiopia's then Marxist military dictatorship. The group eventually led an alliance of militia organizations, the Æthiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), that overthrew the Soviet Union-backed regime in 1991.

The alliance then began to run Æthiopia under a federal system, with TPLF holding sway over the other groups and dominating politics for nearly three decades.

Tigrayan leader Meles Zenawi was Æthiopia's transitional president from 1991 until poorly contested elections in 1995, when he was elected prime minister. He would go on to rule the country until his death in 2012, and was succeeded by Hailemariam Desalegn. During this time, Æthiopia saw economic growth, but the government clamped down on dissent.

The EPRDF government led the country through periodic drought and famine, and the 1998-2000 border war with northern neighbor Eritrea
...is run by the People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ), with about the amounts of democracy and justice you'd expect from a party with that name. National elections have been periodically scheduled and cancelled; none have ever been held in the country. The president, Isaias Afewerki, has been in office since independence in 1993 and will probably die there of old age...
. Human rights deteriorated during this time, with opposition groups complaining of persecution and corruption, which fed into growing public discontent.

In early 2018, after several years of frequent anti-government protests from different ethnic groups had seriously damaged the legitimacy of the EPRDF government, Hailemariam stepped down. The EPRDF selected Abiy Ahmed, of the Oromo ethnic group, as his successor and he was soon elected prime minister.

Abiy, a non-Tigrayan politician with little ties to the TPLF, enjoyed widespread popularity. He unseated many Tigrayan officials, charged some with corruption and introduced a set of political reforms which sidelined the TPLF. In late 2019, Abiy disbanded the EPRDF coalition government and moved to create the new Prosperity Party (PP). Refusing to join the group, the TPLF moved back to its stronghold.

After the 2020 general election was postponed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the TPLF and some other opposition leaders accused Abiy of delaying the vote to stay in power. Despite the delay, officials in the Tigray region went ahead with regional elections in September 2020. A month later, the federal government began withholding funds from the regional administration.

In early November 2020, TPLF forces were accused of having attacked and looted federal military bases in the region. Abiy kicked off a military campaign in the Tigray region, known as Operation Law enforcement, and promised to swiftly defeat the TPLF fighters.

But since June 2021, the Æthiopian army has endured continued setbacks and has been forced to withdraw from Tigray. Now the front line is getting closer and closer to Addis Ababa, with the prime minister calling on residents to be ready to defend the capital.

The Tigray fighters might have the upper hand, but capturing Addis Ababa will not be easy. They are likely to face resistance from other Æthiopians who fear the return to power of a party that ruled the country for nearly three decades.
Related:
Tigray People''s Liberation Front: 2021-11-03 Ethiopia Declares Nationwide Emergency as Rebels Advance
Tigray People''s Liberation Front: 2021-06-30 How TDF victory over Ethiopia's troops in Mekelle spells doom for PM Abiy Ahmed
Tigray People''s Liberation Front: 2021-06-28 Ethiopian transport bird shot down by Tigray rebels
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Africa Horn
Ethiopia calls to discuss recent border attack through joint military committee
2020-06-01
[Sudan Tribune] Ethiopia on Sunday called to address an attack on Sudanese forces by its troops and armed men through a joint military committee established recently to tackle such incident.

A road leading to Ethiopia-Sudan border On Thursday Ethiopian militiamen backed regular troops crossed the border and attacked Sudanese troops several times and for long hours. They killed an army officer, a child and wounded several military and civilians.

The unjustified attack triggered official and popular indignation. On Saturday, the Sudanese army announced the deployment of further troops on the border while the foreign ministry summoned the Ethiopian envoy asking for official explanations.

In a statement released on Sunday, the Ethiopian foreign ministry referred "with great dismay" to the border attack and expressed "its deep sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims of both countries".

"The Ministry urges that the two countries should work together through existing military mechanisms to address and jointly investigate circumstances surrounding the incident," further said the statement.

The statement called to maintain close collaboration between the local and regional authorities in the border areas.

"We believe that the incident does not represent the strong ties between the peoples of the two countries," stressed the Ethiopian foreign ministry.

Sudanese news agency released a report on Sunday blaming the former regime for turning a blind eye to the repeated use by the Ethiopian framer of the Sudanese territory.

It added that the former regime had sealed a secret deal in 1996 with the government of the late Meles Zenawi accordingly Ethiopia will prevent Sudanese opposition from carrying out cross border attacks and in return, they would allow Ethiopian farmers to cultivate inside the Sudanese territory.

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Africa North
Into the Fray: Egypt: A doomed nation?
2013-02-11
It's not only Spengler who sees it, and it may soon be that those foolish enough to grasp the hook and flail of the pharaohs of Egypt will have much more urgent things than those Allah is said to hate.
Tens of millions of Egyptians might consider the epithet "Gift of the Nile" singularly misplaced.

Looking out across the vastness of Lake Tana, the source of the Blue Nile, it is difficult to see why Æthiopia is known as a land plagued by horrific droughts.
-- BBC, "Nile restrictions anger Æthiopia," February 3, 2005

Any action that would endanger the waters of the Blue Nile will be faced with a firm reaction on the part of Egypt, even if that action should lead to war.
-- Egyptian president Anwar Sadat -- cited in "The Waters Of Life," Time, April 23, 2006.

While Egypt is taking the Nile water to transform the Sahara into something green, we in Æthiopia -- which is the source of 85 percent of that water -- are denied the possibility of using it to feed ourselves... and forced to beg for food every year. -- Æthiopia's late prime minister Meles Zenawi, February 3, 2005.

The Greek historian Herodotus (c.484- 425 BCE) is credited with designating Egypt "The Gift of the Nile." Today, tens of millions of Egyptians might consider the epithet "gift" singularly misplaced.

Writing on the wall?

The recent unrest that has raged across Egypt has once again thrust the country into the center of international attention. Indeed, there is a growing realization that the gap between the challenges facing the country and its ability to meet them -- in even a minimally adequate fashion -- is widening, perhaps irretrievably, making a humanitarian catastrophe of staggering proportions evermore likely.
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Africa Horn
Ethiopian PM in 'critical' state in Brussels clinic
2012-07-19
[Daily Nation (Kenya)] Æthiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi was in a Brussels hospital in a "critical" state Wednesday, several diplomatic sources told AFP, but the Æthiopian government denied he was unwell.

"He is in a critical state, his life is in danger," said a diplomat who asked not to be named.

In Addis Ababa, however, government front man Bereket Simon denied reports that the 57-year-old premier was ill.

"He is not in a critical state. He is in good condition," the front man told AFP.

In Brussels, the Æthiopian embassy refused comment. It had said earlier this week that reports he was being treated at a hospital were "false and wrong", and were a rumour created by "an interest group which has preoccupied itself in disseminating such untrue stories".

But several diplomats in Brussels said he had been undergoing regular treatment on a private basis at one of the city's major hospitals and had been in hospital for some days.

No information was available on his illness.
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Africa Horn
Ethiopian military to increase assault against Al Shabab
2012-05-23
(Sh.M.Network)- Æthiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said that his military is looking to gain more ground from Al-Shabaab
... the personification of Somali state failure...
 in southern Somalia, media reported on Monday.

According to reports Prime Minister Meles Zenawi stated that the Æthiopian troops deployed in south centralSomaliaa preparing to increase the onslaught against Al-Shabaab, so they can drive out Al-Shabaab snuffies remaining in southern regions.

"We are committed to strengthening the battle against Al-Shabaab in south central and southernSomalia," the Prime Minister said.

According to the Prime Minister,Æthiopiahas had a great deal of experience in suppressing and limiting the ability of krazed killer groups to thrive.

Prime Minister Zenawi suggested that Kismayo, a major Al-Shabaab stronghold 500 kms south ofMogadishucould be the next operation for the Æthiopian troops. "Our troops have forced Al-Shabaab from a large part of land in south centralSomalia, and soon we will take over more key strongholds," said Prime Minister Zenawi.

Prime Minister Zenawi last month, stated that his troops would leave Somalia as soon as the threat of Al-Shabaab diminishes. Analysts who spoke to Garowe Online said that both countries especiallyKenyawho has never deployed troops toSomalia, may have underestimated Al-Shabaab.

Last year Æthiopian troops were deployed to parts ofSomaliaand since then have been able to force Al-Shabaab from their major strongholds in southernSomalia. Baidoa and Beledweyne were two key cities that Æthiopian troops were able to uproot Al-Shabaab from.
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Africa Horn
Tension rises in Ethiopia amid Muslim protests
2012-05-08
[Daily Nation (Kenya)] The Æthiopian government has warned Mohammedans after a religious dispute caused a massive anti-government protest in Addis Ababa.

The government's warning comes after four people including a Mohammedan holy man was killed and 11 injured in a violent clash in Oromiya region Arsi-Assasa a week ago.

On Friday, thousands of Mohammedans gathered in the Grand Anewar mosque in Addis Ababa and demonstrated their opposition against prime minister Meles Zenawi's government.

Following the protest, the government tightened security in Addis Ababa schools and mosques and a big number of armed security personnel movement was seen in the capital city.

For three months now after Friday prayers, Mohammedans have been protesting in various locations, urging the government to allow a new Islamic ideology Ahebash (moderate Islam mainly known in Leb).

Ahebash is a foreign Islamic sect to both Æthiopian moderate Mohammedans and growing Sufi sect followers. Mohammedans have demand religious freedom and urged the government to stop interfering in their faith.

The negotiations were underway between representatives of Mohammedans and government but Mohammedan representatives said the election of the new religious leaders (Mejliis) was hijacked by government.

The Government on its part, accused Mohammedans of hosting politically motivated elements, who are plotting to against the government.

Æthiopia's Ministry Federal Affairs, an office responsible for religious organizations said in the statement the government had responded to all questions from the Mohammedans.

The government said outlawed political opposition and foreign Mohammedan gun-hung tough guys were behind the ongoing protests.

Three armed opposition groups, Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) and Ginbot-7, US based opposition, were designated as 'terrorist' organizations by a de-facto one party Æthiopian parliament.

The Ministry said social media such as Facebook are used by "terrorist" organizations and gun-hung tough guys to disseminate anti-government information to the Mohammedan population.
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Africa Horn
Ethiopian troops to soon leave Somalia, PM says
2012-04-19
[Shabelle] Ethiopian troops fighting al-Qaeda-linked snuffies in neighboringSomaliawill soon return home,Ethiopia's prime minister said Tuesday.

Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said regions ofSomaliacurrently controlled by Ethiopian forces will be handed over to troops fromBurundi,Kenya,DjiboutiandRwanda.

The first three countries have troops inSomaliaas part of the African Union
...a union consisting of 53 African states, most run by dictators of one flavor or another. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established in 2002, the AU is the successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which was even less successful...
 peacekeeping force.Rwandadoes not currently have troops inSomalia.

Ethiopian troops moved into Somalia at the beginning of the year. Meles said the mission has accomplished "very good results" in fighting al-Shabaab
... Harakat ash-Shabaab al-Mujahidin aka the Mujahideen Youth Movement. It was originally the youth movement of the Islamic Courts, now pretty much all of what's left of it. They are aligned with al-Qaeda but operate more like the Afghan or Pakistani Taliban...
 bad boys.

He did not provide a timeline for such a withdrawal and handover.

"The aim of our involvement was to aide the (Somali) transitional government and help weaken Shabaab bad boys. And it has been successful," Meles told the country's parliament.

Meles said Ethiopian forces have met little military resistance inSomalia, although al-Shabaab has claimed to have carried out several deadly attacks against the Ethiopian troops.

He also told parliament thatEthiopiawould not become involved in a war with archrivalEritrea. Last month Ethiopian troops moved into neighboringEritreaand attacked three military camps in response to bad boy attacks on tourists insideEthiopia.
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Africa Horn
Ethiopian rebels drop call for secession
2012-01-04
[Daily Nation (Kenya)] Ethiopia's oldest armed rebel group, Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) has announced the end of its long held agenda of secession. The group has said it will now fight for unity and freedom.
Whatever that means. Will the fighting look any different to the outside observer?
Political commentators say this is a remarkable move in Ethiopian politics and can potentially reduce opposition against Prime Minister Meles Zenawi's government.

OLF was established in late 1960's and was recently designated as a terrorist organization by Ethiopian government along with Al-Shabaab
... Harakat ash-Shabaab al-Mujahidin aka the Mujahideen Youth Movement. It was originally the youth movement of the Islamic Courts, now pretty much all of what's left of it. They are aligned with al-Qaeda but operate more like the Afghan or Pakistani Taliban...
 and Al-Qaeda.

"The new OLF political programme will accept the new federal democratic republic of Ethiopia that will work for the betterment of all of its citizens, neighbouring countries and international communities," a statement released by the OLF National council reads.

"The OLF National Council also focused on the timely demand of working with other democratic forces in forming the new Ethiopia that will guarantee and protect the fundamental rights of all peoples in Ethiopia" statement added.
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Africa Horn
Ethiopia in threat to oust Eritrea's regime
2011-03-20
[The Nation (Nairobi)] Ethiopia has threatened to topple Eritrea's regime should the international community fail to enforce sanctions placed on the country in 2009.

Addis Ababa claims Eritrea is trying to destabilise the Horn of African nation by backing rebels, while also supporting Islamist gunnies in Somalia.

The Ethiopian government usually says it is content to keep security tight at home to deter attacks.

Eritrea fiercely denies the charges and accuses Western nations of siding with Ethiopia over the unresolved border row.

Eritrea, a tiny Red Sea state, broke away from Ethiopia in 1993 and has been under the leadership of President Isaias Afewerki, 67, since.

Fought bloody war
The two countries fought a bloody war in 1998-2000, which killed more than 70,000 people.

Ethiopian officials, including Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, said they will use "all possible means" to overthrow the Eritrean administration.

Meles said Ethiopia would work towards changing Eritrea's policies or its government.

"This could be done diplomatically, politically or through other means," he said during an interview with Ethiopia-based Eritrean opposition radio station.

Meles also claimed that his country's intelligence reports indicated that Eritrea was planning to disrupt the upcoming Djibouti elections.

Landlocked Ethiopia depends on the Djibouti port for all its trade.

And Meles has already sent a delegation led by his Foreign Affairs minister to New York to brief the UN on the situation.
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Africa Subsaharan
Many faces of Africa's Big Men
2011-02-02
[Daily Nation (Kenya)] African heads of state and government gathered together can be quite a spectacle. Some make you suppress a laugh, others make you stifle a yawn, and yet others make you want to cry.

They cut a multiplicity of images at the Assembly of the African Union's 16th Ordinary Session on Sunday. Any keen journalist would not want to take his or her eyes off their excellencies before coming up with a verdict.

My eyes come to rest on Meles Zenawi, the AU host and Prime Minister of Ethiopia. I see what western news hounds see in Cote d'Ivoire's Gbagbo; I see a strongman.

However hard he tries to exchange pleasantries with his colleagues and members of their entourage on the floor, his I'm-a no-nonsense-man image cannot be concealed. His fast receding hairline, that has left an airport-like patch on his scalp, works to reinforce the image.

My eyes reluctantly leave him and settle on Yoweri Museveni, the Ugandan President who refuses to let go of Migingo Island. I see another strongman.

He needed not make any effort to show all and sundry that he was at the conference for serious business and nothing else. I couldn't help but pity Ugandans who have had to endure him for two decades and are poised to do so for many more years to come. The fellow has not even attained the age of 70.

Museveni will probably improve on the long record at the helm, set by Bob Muggsy Mugabe,
... who turned the former Breadbasket of Africa into the African Basket Case...
 President of Zimbabwe. Those clamouring for generation change should see the youthful Mugabe.

Despite the rumours that good old Robert is in bad health, he looks years younger than his age. He walks straight and his face is bright. I can't rule out the man remaining in power till he is over a century old.

Then there is of course, our very own Emilio Mwai Kibaki, Kenya's president. One word sums him up: aloof.

Having reached for his seat, he remains faithful to the podium, hardly turning his head to look to the sides or even nod. From my corner in the press gallery, I keep wondering whether he is awake or merely struggling to be seen to be awake and following the proceedings. I give up.

Over to Abdoulaye Wade, president of Senegal. Tired man, if there ever was one.

Unlike his peer, brother Robert from Zimbabwe, the good old scholar is visibly tired, no matter how much he tries to hide it. As he makes his way to the washroom and back during the session, I wonder why he has chosen to hang on when there is a legion Senegalese ready to give their lives for his seat.

After all, having risen so high, he can never lack a job. Is he not aware how busy Kenneth Kaunda, Jerry Rawlings,
... former lieutenant in the Ghanian air force, then military dictator for 11 years. He thought he was elected President-for-Life of Ghana in 1993, but was forced to step down his at the end of his term-limited second term when his proxy was defeated ...
 Thabo Mbeki or even Festus Mogae are?

Goodluck Jonathan, the President of Nigeria is one lucky man. Flamboyance, his broad-brimmed hat, and perhaps the fame of the country he leads, make him stand out among his colleagues.

Circumstances force him to remove the hat to wear a head phone for translation and this does him a great disservice. I hope he wins the April presidential poll so that he can continue gracing the African scene.

Pierre Nkurunziza the president of Burundi is simply colourless. The youthful chief executive of the tiny country cuts an image of an uninspiring leader; almost looking intimidated. So much for youthful leaders. Things would probably be different were he the president of a massive landmass like the neighbouring DRC.

And you can't fail to spot Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, president of Liberia. She is graceful. The only woman CEO of the 53-member organisation may inspire many of her gender to aim higher.
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Africa Horn
Ethiopia PM warns of Nile war
2010-11-26
[Al Jazeera] Meles Zenawi, the Ethiopian prime minister, has told Rooters that Egypt could not win a war with Ethiopia over the Nile river.
...possibly because, unlike those of the Egyptian army, Ethiopian guns and sandals do not require duct tape to keep from falling to pieces?
The Egyptian army has US weapons and a fair bit of US and western training these days. I suspect their maintenance is still Insha'allah.
In an interview on Tuesday, Meles also accused Egypt of trying to destabilise his country by supporting several small rebel groups, but said it was a tactic that would no longer work.

"If we address the issues around which the rebel groups are mobilised then we can neutralise them and therefore make it impossible for the Egyptians to fish in troubled waters because there won't be any," he said.

"Hopefully that should convince the Egyptians that, as direct conflict will not work, and as the indirect approach is not as effective as it used to be, the only sane option will be civil dialogue."

In response, Egypt said it was "amazed" by Ethiopia's suggestion that Cairo might turn to military action in a row over the Nile waters, saying it did not want confrontation and that it was not backing rebels there.

"I'm amazed by the language that was used. We are not seeking war and there will not be war," Ahmed Aboul Gheit, the Egyptian foreign minister, told Rooters during a visit to Abu Dhabi.

In a statement, the minister said the "charges that Egypt is exploiting rebel groups against the ruling regime in Ethiopia are completely devoid of truth."
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Africa Horn
Ethiopia warns against Sudan war
2010-11-24
[Pak Daily Times] Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi warned of 'ghastly' consequences for Africa if Sudan returns to war after a crucial referendum on southern independence in January.

Africa's biggest country is 47 days away from a plebiscite in its oil-producing south on whether to secede or remain part of Sudan -- a vote promised in the 2005 peace deal that ended decades of north-south war. That conflict, the longest civil war in African history, killed about 2 million people and forced 4 million to flee.

"Like all doomsday scenarios (a return to war) is too ghastly to contemplate," Meles, who hosted crunch Sudan talks in Addis Ababa on Tuesday, told Rooters in an interview. "That is why we have to use everything in our capacity to stop it from happening because the alternative is massively destructive not only for Sudan or the Horn of Africa, but the continent as whole." Meles said all-out war was 'possible but not inevitable'.

Both sides have ramped up their rhetoric, having failed to overcome differences on issues including voter eligibility in the disputed oil-rich Abyei region. UN Secretary-General the ephemeral Ban Ki-moon said last week he hoped to boost the number of peacekeepers in Sudan amid fears the country could be headed for a new civil war.

Death threats: On the other hand, South Sudanese living in Uganda have received death threats and warnings not to register for a vote on the independence of their region, a development that could undermine the referendum, officials said on Tuesday. Staff from the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) running the registration have also received menacing calls and letters, disrupting the preparations for January's referendum, said officials.
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