Tuesday, November 02, 2021
Rebel advance in Ethiopia
Addis Ababa is preparing for war
The situation in Ethiopia is coming to a head. A few days ago the Tigray rebels reported the capture of two strategically important cities, and fear of a march on Addis Ababa was growing. The authorities in the capital call the population to arms. There is now a state of emergency across the country.
In view of the advance of the rebels from the unrest region of Tigray, the government in Ethiopia has imposed a nationwide state of emergency. The state media reported. The rebel group TPLF had captured two strategically important cities in the past few days in the conflict with the army and aroused fears of a march on the capital Addis Ababa.
The authorities of the capital have already called on the population to register any weapons they may have and to prepare to defend their neighborhoods if necessary. At the weekend, the TPLF reported the capture of the two strategically important cities of Kombolcha and Dessie in the province of Amhara, which the Ethiopian government denied.
“The state of emergency is intended to protect civilians from the atrocities committed by the terrorist organization TPLF,” reported the state media. The Ethiopian government accused the TPLF on Monday of literally executing hundreds of young residents in Kombolcha.
USA cancels trade advantages for Addis Ababa
Meanwhile, the US government announced its intention to terminate an important trade agreement with the government in Addis Ababa. US President Joe Biden accused Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government of “serious violations of internationally recognized human rights”. Ethiopia will therefore be kicked out of a mechanism known as AGOA on January 1, 2022, which allows countries in southern Africa to export numerous goods duty-free to the USA if they commit to good governance, a free market economy and human rights. The African states of Guinea and Mali will also be removed from the list of countries that will benefit from such trade advantages because of the military coups there, as the White House announced.
The conflict between the Ethiopian government and the TPLF has been going on for almost a year. The government troops attacked the TPLF, which ruled Tigray, in November 2020 in response to TPLF attacks on army positions. The sometimes fierce fighting has now spread to neighboring regions such as Amhara.
Almost two million people have been displaced by the fighting so far. There have been repeated reports of atrocities, including massacres and mass rape. The Tigray region is largely cut off from the rest of the world. The supply situation is considered catastrophic, according to UN data, 400,000 people in Tigray alone are suffering from hunger.