Ethiopia's war is turning into a world war in Africa, leading to tens of thousands of deaths. How far has it gotten?
Addis Ababa - Ethiopia war is turning into a world war in Africa, leading to tens of thousands of deaths. While Tigray rebels fight against armies and militias in a total media blackout.
The World War in Ethiopia, Africa Amid a Media Blackout
There are no reports of the conflict yet since the Ethiopian government cut Tigray region phone and internet lines, and almost completely blocked media access in order to hide the extent of the fighting. Most communication with the outside world is now done via satellite phones.
The violence is occurring on an unprecedented scale, even when the fighting has lasted for some years. The conflict is intensifying in the northern region of the country. It is described by experts as the deadliest war in the world.
Cameron Hudsonan analyst and former head of African affairs for the US National Security Council referred to this as the new Great African War.
He added, "25 years ago, after the events in Congo with the participation of up to six African countries and their troops in fighting that killed over five million people, Ethiopia is fast becoming the next world war of Africa.
The latest massive offensive is part of a bloody civil war that broke out in late 2020 in the northern reaches of the second most populous nation in Africa when Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed attacked a dissident local government in the region of Tigray.
Ethnic militias and Eritrean soldiers joined forces to fight the rebels, who initially appeared to have been wiped out. But in mid-2021, the guerrillas took over much of the region in a massive counter-offensive.
Eritrean forces withdrew last year and Tigrinya forces advanced towards Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital. For a while, it looked like Addis Ababa might fall.
However, the influx of drones from the United Arab Emirates and Turkey pushed the rebels back. According to military sources, a months-long ceasefire offered a respite to the millions of people who were in dire straits and the conflict disappeared from the world agenda.
But large-scale war is now tearing the region apart again. Experts say the massive conflict involves several actors from across the region in an explosive situation that could set the Horn of Africa on fire.