10/9/2022 Week in Review

As TPLF forces retreated from the town of Kobo and its vicinity, the extent of the damage caused by the insurgents was revealed. Witnesses claim the attacks in occupied parts the Amhara region were carried out on those the TPLF suspected of supporting Ethiopia’s federal government. According to a report by the Guardian, several hundred individuals had been executed by the TPLF fighters during their month long stay in the region.

As fighting between Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) and Tigray rebels continues, the TPLF leadership accused both Eritrea and Ethiopia for stalled talks. The African Union’s attempted peace talks in South Africa had faltered after several prevarications by the rebels, who wanted a cessation of hostilities before willingness to join peace talks. However, Ethiopia’s government reiterated its push for talks without any preconditions.

Half a million Ethiopian high school seniors took national exams to enroll in university. The examination had been the subject of attention in recently years due to several repeated cases of fraud, leaked exams as well as cheating scandals. The ministry of education, which came under fire for these shortcomings sought to rectify these challenges in this latest round of exams. By all accounts this year’s matriculations were successfully completed, which is testament to positive reforms enacted thus far.

Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent an open letter to the Republic of Ireland, accusing it of interfering in Ethiopia’s internal conflict. The letter stated, “Ireland continued attacking Ethiopia using its membership in the UN Security Council, the European Union, and elsewhere. Ethiopia’s plea to Ireland to reduce hostility and attacks against its sovereignty and territorial integrity had not been heeded”.

At week’s end, the 10^th year-round of the Tana forum was held in the city of Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. Guest attendees included, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia, the sovereign council of Sudan, Abdul Fatah Al Burhan, the prime minister of Somalia as well as U.S Special Envoy to the Horn of Africa Mike Hammer. The high-level forum focused on security, climate change as well as economic integration of African states.

Recent military advances of ENDF could not be hidden, as TPLF supporters flood social media outlets with statements pleading for intervention by the International Community. Opponents of the insurgents cited more concocted stories of atrocities were being used by the group as part of its disinformation campaign to garner humanitarian sympathy from Western observers. Meanwhile the Ethiopian planes drop leaflets in Tigray advising residents to disassociate from the insurgents who seek to use civilians as human shields.