Amnesty International posted on 21 July 2022 a press release titled "Ethiopia's Authorities Must Investigate Massacre of Ethnic Amhara in Tole" by Deprose Muchena, Amnesty director for East and Southern Africa.
On 18 June, at least 450 ethnic Amhara died, allegedly at the hands of the Oromo Liberation Army, in Tole ward of Oromo Region, according to a local official. Amnesty conducted interviews with local people who confirmed the killings and called for a thorough investigation.
Reuters published on 5 November 2021 an article titled "Nine Ethiopian Factions to Form Alliance against Government."
An alliance called the United Front of Ethiopian Federalist and Confederalist Forces has reportedly been created to oppose the Abiy Ahmed government. The Oromia Liberation Army and Agaw Democratic Movement have confirmed their participation. The other groups have not been named.
The Black News Channel asked me to comment on 4 November 2021 on the situation in Ethiopia. Del Walters was the moderator of the five minute podcast titled "Neither Side in Conflict Admits to Atrocities." The focus of the discussion was possible steps to bring the conflict to an end.
Aljazeera interviewed me on 2 November 2021 concerning the situation in Ethiopia. The five minute segment focused on the current fighting in Amhara Region.
The Washington Post published on 2 November 2021 an article titled "Ethiopians Mobilize as Advance of Rebel Groups Toward Capital Threatens Wider Civil War" by Max Bearak.
The article reports the apparent linking up of Tigrayan forces and those from the Oromo Liberation Army in an effort to topple the Abiy government. This would be an historic, albeit likely temporary, alliance.
The International Crisis Group (ICG) published on 26 October 2021 a briefing titled "Ethiopia's Civil War: Cutting a Deal to Stop the Bloodshed."
The ICG predicts that Ethiopia's civil war is likely to worsen. It urges outside powers to back the African Union's new envoy's efforts to move instead toward a ceasefire.
Ethiopia Insight published on 20 October 2021 a commentary titled "We Must End the Civil War to Save Ethiopia" by Moges Zewdu Teshome, graduate student at Vienna School of International Studies.
The author reviews the background that led up to the war with Tigray and concluded that failure to end the civil war may result in the unmaking of the Ethiopian state as it is known today.
Ethiopia Insight published on 5 September 2021 a commentary titled "The Divisions within the UN Security Council Will Harm Ethiopia" by an anonymous author.
UN Security Council members agree on four goals for Ethiopia: ending the conflict, addressing the humanitarian catastrophe, maintaining the unity of Ethiopia, and avoiding regional instability. But the members disagree on how to go about achieving these goals. The author argues the solution is to follow the position of the African members of the Security Council: Kenya, Niger, and Tunisia.
Ethiopia Insight published on 2 September 2021 a commentary titled "TPLF-OLA Alliance Is a Prelude to Tigray's Secession" by Marishet Mohammed Hamza, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Switzerland.
The author argues that bringing down the federal government is the apparent motive behind the alliance between the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) and the TPLF, but it is also aimed at preparing for the secession of Tigray Region from Ethiopia. The idea is to support the OLA's entry into power, obtain approval from an OLA-dominated government for a referendum on secession, and then seek the independence of Tigray.
Ethiopia Insight published on 29 August 2021 a statement titled "An Open Letter by African Intellectuals for Urgent Action on Ethiopia."
The letter argues that Ethiopia is on the precipice. The time has come for political dialogue to begin and the Ethiopian government and national regional government of Tigray to accept mediation under the framework of the Intergovernmental Authority for Development and the African Union supported by appropriate carrots and sticks from the rest of the international community.
The New York Times published on 22 August 2021 an article titled "'My Blood is Boiling': War Fever Surges in Ethiopia as Its Civil War Spreads" by Abdi Latif Dahir.
The Ethiopian drive to enlist recruits for the war effort threatens to widen the conflict, forcing ethnic groups to take sides.
Ethiopia Insight published on 19 August 2021 a detailed commentary titled "EIEP: Prosperity Party's Win Is a Loss for Oromia--and Ethiopia" by Ermias Tasfaye, Ethiopia Insight reporter who lives in Oromia.
The author argues that Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has failed to reconcile Ethiopia and Oromo political identities and so failed to live up to his own promises. The commentary focuses on the competing views in Oromia of support for Oromo nationalism versus pan-Ethiopianism.
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute published on 18 June 2021 an analysis titled "Ethiopia's Crisis Runs Deeper than Tigray" by Jason Mosley.
The conflict in Tigray Region is part of a broader political crisis in Ethiopia. External pressure on Ethiopian officials to de-escalate the conflict in Tigray and expand humanitarian access, without reference to the broader context, risks exacerbating the factors driving the conflict in Tigray.
The Horn's Diaspora ran on 28 May 2021 a 39-minute podcast with me titled "Ethiopian Government: From Being the Darling of the West to Becoming the Spoiler" moderated by Merga Yonas Bula on YouTube.
This is a wide ranging discussion concerning recent developments in Ethiopia, including ethnic nationalism, the humanitarian crisis in Tigray, upcoming elections, the Ethiopia-Eritrea border, role of the diaspora, hate speech, and US policy.
Ethiopia Insight posted on 27 April 2021 an analysis titled "Ethiopia's Vicious Deadlock" by Rene Lefort.
The author concludes that any sustainable and in-depth solution to Ethiopia's political deadlock requires national negotiations followed by a credible election.
Ethiopia Insight published on 24 April 2021 a commentary titled "Ethiopia's Bungled 2018 Deal with Oromo Rebels Is the Cause of Current Turmoil" by Marew Abebe Salemot, Debark University.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's 2018 decision to grant amnesty to exiled Oromo fighters (most of them in Eritrea) on the promise they would lay down their arms resulted in some of them now engaging in a separatist campaign in Oromia.
Aljazeera broadcast on 29 March 2021 a 25-minute video discussion titled "Is Ethiopia Hurtling Towards All-out Ethnic Conflict?" with Tewodrose Tirfe, Chairman of the Amhara Association of America, Zecharias Zelalem, journalist, and Awol Allo, Keele University.
The three panelists engaged in a heated discussion that focused on ethnic nationalism, the future of Ethiopia, and violence in Oromia. There was little agreement.
