Tigray conflict could trigger all-out war in Ethiopia
Jul 21, 2021
Addis Ababa [Ethiopia] July 21 : Special forces and militias from a number of Ethiopia's regions are mobilizing to back the federal government's military operations in Tigray, which could lead to the intensification of the conflict in the country.
Regular forces from Amhara, a large region abutting the south of Tigray, have been fighting alongside federal troops ever since Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed launched the military offensive in Tigray last November, DW News reported.
With this, at least six more regions have become a part of the conflict including Oromia, which is Ethiopia's most populous region.
Ethiopia has a federal system, with 10 regional states (and two city administrations), which are largely ethnic-based. Each has its own special forces, plus local militia groups often made up of farmers similar to a home guard unit, DW News reported.
Thousands of people have been killed since fighting broke out in November 2020, and more than 2 million people have been displaced in Ethiopia's northern region.
