The Misery Behind the Truce in Ethiopia’s Civil War

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When Abiy Ahmed’s party won a majority of seats in a mid-2021 vote and he secured a new term as Ethiopia’s prime minister, he appeared to have cemented control over Africa’s second-most-populous nation. Instead, his government was forced to declare a nationwide state of emergency as rebel fighters from the Tigray region seized strategic towns and threatened to advance on the capital, Addis Ababa, before the army staged a counter-offensive and pushed them back. More than 16 months of fighting spawned misery and hunger across the north of the country before a truce was agreed to allow for the dispersement of humanitarian aid.