Understanding the 2020-2021 Tigray Conflict in Ethiopia: Background, Root Causes, and Consequences
Pellet, Philippe. Understanding the 2020-2021 Tigray Conflict in Ethiopia: Background, Root Causes, and Consequences. (Budapest: Institute for Foreign Affairs and Trade, 2021). https://real.mtak.hu/132127/1/KE_2021_39_ET_Tigray_Conflict_in_Ethiopia_Pellet_0810.pdf.
This policy brief outlines the history of conflict in Ethiopia, giving context for the current humanitarian crisis. The author describes how Ethiopia’s federal system of governance operates and how the construction and politics of the Tigray region provided a framework through which conflict could proliferate. The maintenance of state and regional security forces in addition to the federal army helped facilitate violent conflict after years of increasing political tension between Tigray and the central government. After the outbreak of violence, a humanitarian crisis has been ongoing in Ethiopia. As a nation that has already received many refugees from neighbouring countries, the conflict has had a disproportionately large impact on those who are already some of the most vulnerable. Conflicting actions and statements by the central government have further exacerbated the crisis, leading to fears that the government will continue a blockade of the region in order to force Tigrayan leaders to capitulate. This blockade has prevented essential supplies from reaching civilians in the region, deepening a famine and economic hardship already present. The lack of security and inaccessibility compound the difficulty of NGO work in Ethiopia, demonstrating the importance of information and government collaboration in peacebuilding. The Ethiopian case also demonstrates how conflicts form and what types of political and environmental challenges make conflict recovery more difficult. The report concludes with an assessment of both long- and short-term needs, drawing attention to the need for reconciliation between sides and structures to support sustainable peace in the country.
Available at: https://real.mtak.hu/132127/1/KE_2021_39_ET_Tigray_Conflict_in_Ethiopia_Pellet_0810.pdf (via Google Scholar).