The Conflict in Ethiopia

Ethiopia (pop. 115 million) is the second most populous nation in Africa. It is now in the throes of a civil war which has caused the loss of thousands of lives, millions of displaced people, and famine conditions in some areas.

Ethiopia has been renowned from ancient times for its cultural and agricultural wealth. It is part Christian, part Muslim and part pagan. It is divided ethnically, with three dominant groups (Oromo, Amhara, Tigray) making up two thirds of the population.

A major problem in Ethiopian history has been keeping such a large diverse nation together. The government has fluctuated between unitary and federal systems. Currently the government has tried to impose a unitary system, and the Tigray region in the north has rebelled. The central government with the help of neighboring Eritrea has tried to suppress the rebellion, so far with limited success. Thus the war goes on, in spite of efforts by the UN, the Organization of African Unity (OAU), the US and others to stop it.

(Sources: New York Times, 10/9/22 and 3/16/22, Current History, May 2022, and UAB Institute for Human Rights, 1/15/22)