Songs and stories of a civil war hospital

An internal document prepared by the ruling party and seen by The Economist did not rule this out. But it is possible that the government may want to start separate peace talks with it. Officially it will not be invited to the dialogue. The OLFвЂ™s armed wing is deemed a terrorist group by the government and is therefore excluded from talks, too.ДЄn even bigger challenge is the TPLF, which the government also calls a terrorist group. Other powerful Oromo opposition figures, such as Dawud Ibsa, leader of the Oromo Liberation Front ( OLF), remain in custody. вЂњAs it is, the intended national dialogue can be neither inclusive nor impartial,вЂќ says JawarвЂ™s ally, Merera Gudina. The government wants freed opposition leaders to take part in a so-called вЂњnational dialogueвЂќ, which is to weigh matters such as the countryвЂ™s controversial system of ethnically based federalism.Д«ut they are unlikely to do so just yet. The prime minister described the move as an act of victorвЂ™s mercy, saying that it was necessary for Ethiopia to break the cycle of war. Then, on Ethiopian Christmas, he freed several opposition leaders from prison, including Jawar Mohammed, his chief rival from the Oromo ethnic group, and six TPLF officials. Instead he urged Tigrayans to fight the TPLF. First his government announced that the army would not seek to reoccupy Tigray. EthiopiaвЂ™s year-long civil war, during which the army and its allies have committed war crimes, has damaged that reputation. He won a Nobel prize in 2019 for ending hostilities with neighbouring Eritrea, and was praised for helping to mediate a power-sharing deal in Sudan. Though fighting continues on several fronts, Abiy has declared victory.Д«efore the war Abiy was known as a peacemaker. TigrayвЂ™s ruling party, the Tigrayan PeopleвЂ™s Liberation Front ( TPLF), asked for a ceasefire.

But in a matter of weeks the Ethiopian army pushed the rebels into retreat. Embassies evacuated staff and urged their citizens to leave. Abiy declared a state of emergency and called on residents to fight. In late 2021 rebels from the northern region of Tigray were on the brink of storming the capital and toppling the government of Abiy Ahmed, the prime minister. EthiopiaвЂ™s civil war has certainly cooled down.

Songs and stories of a civil war hospital