Ethiopia's Ongoing Conflict: A Story of Struggle and Survival

The article investigates the impact of Ethiopia's civil war, particularly in the Tigray region, through the experiences of health care workers and civilians, reflecting on the humanitarian crisis, ethnic tensions, and the shift in national leadership that led to violence since 2020.

In late 2020, Ethiopia plunged into civil conflict, particularly affecting the Tigray region. Mehari, a young doctor in Axum, recounts how the war disrupted her life. Before the fighting began, she could rely on public transportation to travel to work. However, after the outbreak of hostilities between the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) and the federal government, public transit ceased, forcing her to walk long distances to the hospital under increasingly dangerous conditions. The fear of violence lurking at every corner heightened her determination to save her patients while navigating military curfews.

Mehari's harrowing experiences began on the night of the conflict's onset when unexpected casualties flooded her hospital, displaying the brutal realities of war that transformed her medical career overnight. “It was shocking,” she recalled, reflecting on initially treating individuals injured in accidents rather than those caught in crossfire. As the chaos unfolded, she listened to stories of families shattered by loss, which overwhelmed her capacity to comprehend the scale of suffering unraveling around her.

Amid the conflict’s intensity, Mehari ultimately left her position to enlist as a medic with the Tigray Defense Forces, illustrating a broader narrative of individuals on the frontlines. Despite the formal ending of hostilities in 2022, she describes a lingering discomfort outside of Tigray, indicative of a nation grappling with unresolved divisions.

Ethiopia’s complex ethnic landscape plays a significant role in this conflict. With a history marked by a repressive regime under the TPLF prior to 2018, the political transition that followed Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s election sparked hope for a more inclusive governance. However, discontent rapidly brewed, especially among ethnically diverse groups longing for autonomy amid the perceived dominance of Tigrayan representation.

Abiy's government, following regional elections conducted by the TPLF contrary to federal orders, severed ties, sparking a military confrontation. What followed was the involvement of Eritrean troops and various regional factions, compounding the violence and humanitarian crisis affecting millions. Abiy, once celebrated as a peace-promoter after receiving the Nobel Prize for fostering relations with Eritrea, found his nation increasingly fragmented, reflecting deep-seated ethnic grievances and power struggles.

As Ethiopia endures these tumultuous times, personal stories like Mehari's highlight the paradox of human resilience intertwined with systemic violence, leaving many continuously striving for peace and security in a country still struggling to heal from its past.