Last June 22, the Ethiopian army carried out an air attack against a market, officially targeting Tigrayan rebels. The incident killed 64. Yet, PM Abiy Ahmed had announced at the end of November 2020 the end of operations in the region. 

The Tigray conflict seems far from over between the federal government of Ethiopia and the rebels of the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF). Since the conflict began in early November 2020, the government has stepped up its offensive against the rebels, who also do not seem to have given up.

The continuation of this conflict is a bit of a slap in the face for Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who was most likely hoping for a lightning operation in Tigray. Indeed, less than four weeks after ordering the offensive against the TPLF rebels, the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize winner announced the end of operations in the region, welcoming a victory against the rebels.

“Our focus now will be on rebuilding the region and providing humanitarian assistance while Federal Police apprehend the TPLF clique,” he said at the time, suggesting a new, more peaceful stage in the resolution of the conflict.

Seven months after these statements, the conflict persists and the attacks have never really stopped. Moreover, several cases of attacks targeting civilians have been denounced by the people in Tigray and reported by human rights organizations. This is the case of the recent airstrike carried out on Tuesday, June 22, by Addis Ababa against a market in the town of Togoga in Tigray. According to local sources, 64 people were killed and at least 180 injured.

While the international community has protested against this umpteenth attack, which is suspected of having deliberately targeted civilians, the Ethiopian army is defending itself. "We do not accept that this operation targeted civilians," Colonel Getnet Adane told AFP.

Difficult humanitarian situation

Since the beginning of the conflict, Abiy Ahmed has come under heavy criticism from the international community for violating human rights in the Tigray region. Specifically, the leader is accused of doing nothing to end the crisis, while his Eritrean allies commit abuses in the region. Although he denies this and has even promised the withdrawal of Eritrean forces from Tigray, the humanitarian situation in the region does not seem to be in his favor.

Today, an estimated 350,000 people are living in starvation conditions in Tigray, while humanitarian aid is struggling to reach the most disadvantaged areas. According to humanitarian organizations, Eritrean soldiers are blocking convoys carrying food to areas outside Addis Ababa. This situation has prompted Mark Andrew Lowcock, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, to accuse Asmara of using food "as a weapon of war.”

As a reminder, the violence between the TPLF rebels and Ethiopia has already displaced an estimated 2 million people. Since the beginning of the conflict, the international community has been raising funds to help the affected populations.

Moutiou Adjibi Nourou