Ethiopia Elections Marred by Boycotts, Conflict Risks, and Regional Tensions
Key Details
On election day, 143 polling stations in Ethiopia's Amhara and Oromia regions did not open due to security concerns related to armed groups opposing the government.
The Fano militia in Amhara and the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) in Oromia both rejected the election and its results.
Tigray Entirely Excluded from Poll
The Tigray region, with 38 constituencies and six million residents, was entirely excluded from the poll, amid risks of renewed conflict.
Background
- Tigray recently experienced a two-year civil war that ended in 2022.
- During the war, Tigrayan forces were allied with Ethiopian government forces and were accused of committing atrocities against Tigrayan civilians, a claim denied by both sides.
- Post-war relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea have deteriorated.
- Ethiopia, landlocked since Eritrea's independence in 1993, has expressed desire for Red Sea port access.
- Eritrea has since allied with Tigray's leaders.
- Ethiopia has been accused of supporting the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan's civil war, a charge it denies.
- Eritrea and Tigrayan forces are reportedly linked to the Sudanese military.
Statements
- The peace deal between the Ethiopian government and the Tigrayan People's Liberation Front (TPLF) signed in November 2022 is alleged by both sides to have been violated.
- The African Union's mediator estimated approximately 600,000 deaths in the previous conflict.
"The risks are real and are driven by both sides."
— Cameron Hudson, Africa analyst and former US State Department official