Ethiopia’s Tigray: New frontier for regional interests

Since Ethiopia's war with the TPLF broke out in 2020, it has widened to become a national conflict involving not just Tigray, but also Oromia, and Amhara. But outside of Ethiopia, regional players have also been serving their interests by making the most out of the fighting. What do they stand to gain?

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seize the moment

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Former enemies, Ethiopia and Eritrea are fighting on the same side in Tigray war

The first reason that Ethiopia’s Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019 was that he had initiated successful peace talks with the East African country’s existential rival, Eritrea. The benefits of the peace process had been immediately obvious to the region and the international community.

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Navigating federalism

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What Somalia stands to gain from Ethiopia’s ongoing Tigray war

After assuming office in early 2018, Ethiopia’s new Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed embarked on radical reforms that have since led to political realignment in his country, spilling over into the horn region. The charismatic and energetic Abiy was only 42 when he took over in 2018 and immediately reached out to long-time rivals Somalia and Eritrea, thereby forging a tripartite alliance that seems to be shaping into a new regional order. But has the Tigray war helped or held-back Somalia’s ambitions with Ethiopia? We find out in this second part of our series.

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behind the scenes

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Ethiopia – Tigray: What does Egypt stand to gain or lose from the one-year war?

As Ethiopian officials continue to claim that foreign forces have fought alongside Tigray fighters in recent battles in the Amhara region, questions arise about how Egypt could benefit from the ongoing conflict that has claimed thousands of lives. There is also the question of if the Egyptian state has been supporting dissenting forces.

Ethiopian refugees wait in lines for a meal at the Um Rakuba refugee camp, on the Sudan-Ethiopia border

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Spillover Effect

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Ethiopia: Can Sudan use Tigray refugees as a bargaining chip?

A year after the Tigray war erupted in northern Ethiopia, there’s growing fear that not only will the union of rebel forces enter the capital Addis Ababa, but the spillover effect risks weakening an already fragile region. But could the chaos within Ethiopia’s borders play into the advantage of Sudan, especially since its coup d’état has once again further destablised the country?

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Strengthening Ties

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Ethiopia – Turkey: Ankara’s ongoing economic and military support

For the last two decades, the relationship between Turkey and Ethiopia has been based on economic interest. With Ethiopia’s goal of attracting foreign investment far from its former reality of an economy based on foreign aid, Ankara’s investments to Ethiopia have increased to $2.5bn.

The In Depth Collection