Africa File
The Africa File is an analysis and assessment of the Salafi-jihadi movement in Africa and related security and political dynamics.
Ethiopia Crisis Update: Ethiopia’s federal government allows humanitarian access to Tigray
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Ethiopia’s federal government is gradually restoring media and humanitarian aid access to Tigray region in the country’s north. These moves are likely intended to reduce international pressure on Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to cease hostilities and negotiate with the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). Abiy agreed to give UN aid agencies access to government-controlled territory in Tigray on December 2. An Ethiopian federal internet and telecommunications service provider partially restored communication lines in several Tigray towns the same day. These decisions follow federal forces’ capture of the Tigray capital, Mekelle, from the TPLF on November 28.
The Ethiopian government will likely continue attempting to demonstrate the restoration of stability in Tigray to ease international concerns and solidify Abiy’s position in the lead-up to national elections in 2021. The capture of Mekelle is unlikely to end Tigray’s conflict, however, and the TPLF will likely wage an insurgency to stymie federal forces’ control of the region.
