Article Link: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/11/9/ethiopia-downplays-war-fears-while-attacking-tigray-region
A conflict is escalating in Ethiopia between the Ethiopian government and the Tigray people. Tigray, a region in northern Ethiopia, borders Eritrea and Sudan and is significantly battle-hardened after a 1999-2000 conflict with Eritrea. Because of this conflict, Tigray has become a center for military equipment, bombs, and 250,000 soldiers, as well as being very politically and economically powerful.
Though Tigray only has about 5 percent of Ethiopia’s population, they have held significant political power over the past thirty years, only recently losing the presidency in 2018. The Tigray people, united under the TPLF (Tigray People’s Liberation Front), have felt as though they have been at a disadvantage due to this declining lack of influence.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed claimed that the TPLF attacked an Ethiopian military base and has since ordered air raids in Tigray, causing hundreds of deaths and thousands of evacuations. The exact number of deaths is unknown due to the fact that the internet and power in Tigray has been cut out.
This conflict in Tigray has raised serious concern throughout the global community, as Ethiopia has an extensive history of civil war and ethnic conflict. Because so much of Ethiopia’s military technology is centered in Tigray, there is also the fear that the military might split along ethnic lines. Along with the possibility of ethnic conflict, there is also the possibility that Ethiopia’s economy might be damaged after years of steady growth. Though this conflict is seen as a threat to national security, the prime minister is insistent that it’s nothing to worry about. Both sides have defied calls from the UN to negotiate, and seem entirely uninterested in outside mediation.
This conflict can be connected to class through the collective goods problem. Though hundreds are being killed and there are possible human rights violations, it is important for Ethiopia to retain its sovereignty. In the past years, Ethiopia has made significant strides in improving its democracy, with the prime minister even winning a Nobel Peace Prize, so it makes sense that they would be reluctant to admit that they are struggling. While it is in the interest of the common good to protect the Ethiopian people, it is in Ethiopia’s interest to retain its sovereignty. Nevertheless, IGOs like the UN are seeking to help mediate the conflict that is so prevalent in multi-nation states around the globe.