Media Roll-up: September 20th-October 4th
The Church
Ethiopia Tigray crisis: From monk to soldier - how war has split a church
Fasikaw Menberu & Farouk Chothia, October 3rd, 2021, BBC News
An Ethiopian monk, who once carried only the cross and Bible in a land famous for its rock-hewn churches, is now picking up a rifle to march into battle against Tigrayan rebels in a war that is tearing the nation - and the Orthodox Christian Church - apart.
Politics
Ethiopia’s Abiy Ahmed sworn in as PM for second five-year term
Al Jazeera, October 4th, 2021
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has been sworn in for a new five-year term as his government faces a host of challenges, including a months-long conflict in the northern region of Tigray.
Ethiopia detains former official from Tigray interim government
Reuters, October 2nd, 2021
NAIROBI, Oct 2 (Reuters) - A former senior official in an interim government for Ethiopia's Tigray region appeared in court on Saturday over allegations of inciting conflict between the Tigrayan people and the central government, and possessing an illegal gun, his lawyer said.
Ethiopians in three regions go to polls in delayed election
Al Jazeera, September 30th, 2021
Citizens in three regions are electing 47 representatives in the June vote delayed over ballot and security issues.
Canada & Tigray
Canadian miners pursue prospects in war-torn Tigray
Geoffrey York and Zecharias Zelalem, October 3rd, 2021, The Globe and Mail
Some Canadian gold-mining companies see Tigray as a potential bonanza
United Nations
World News: U.N. Warns of Escalating Aid Crisis in Tigray Region
Nicholas Bariyo, October 2nd, 2021, The Wall Street Journal
The humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia's Tigray region continues to escalate, with only a fraction of needed aid allowed to enter, the United Nations said hours after the government in Addis Ababa expelled seven of the organization's officials, accusing them of meddling in the country's internal affairs.
UN Secretary-General rebuffs Ethiopia's demand for senior UN officials to leave the country
Eliza Mackintosh and Richard Roth, October 2nd, 2021, CNN
The United Nations has rebuffed Ethiopia's decision to expel seven senior UN officials as the country's war-torn northern Tigray region descends into famine, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Friday.
Ethiopia Plans to Kick Out 7 Officials Leading Aid Response in Tigray as U.N. Warns of Famine
Declan Walsh and Rick Gladstone, October 1st, 2021, The New York Times
The move came days after the U.N. aid chief accused Ethiopia of mounting an aid blockade that is pushing the region into famine.
Ethiopia expels top UN officials after Tigray blockade criticism
Geoffrey York, October 1st, 2021, The Globe and Mail
Ethiopia has ordered the expulsion of seven of the highest-ranking United Nations officials in the country, just days after the UN's humanitarian chief warned that a blockade of the war-ravaged Tigray region was causing widening starvation.
Ethiopia orders expulsion of top UN officials for ‘meddling’
Al Jazeera, September 30th, 2021
UN ‘shocked’ after gov’t declares seven officials ‘persona non grata’ and gives them 72 hours to leave Ethiopia.
UN warns of ‘unprecedented’ malnutrition in Ethiopia’s Tigray
Al Jazeera, October 1st, 2021
The UN reports alarming malnutrition among children, pregnant and lactating women in the conflict-hit northern region.
Ethiopia’s Tigray crisis ‘stain on our conscience’: UN
Al Jazeera, September 29th, 2021
UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths calls for urgent action to stave off famine in rebel region of Tigray.
UPDATE 1-U.N. aid chief to Ethiopia on famine in Tigray: 'Get those trucks moving'
Reuters, September 28th, 2021
UNITED NATIONS, Sept 28 (Reuters) - United Nations aid chief Martin Griffiths said on Tuesday he assumes famine has taken hold in Ethiopia's Tigray where a nearly three-month long "de-facto blockade" has restricted aid deliveries to 10% of what is needed in the war-torn region.
Famine & Food Aid
Tigray mothers share shocking accounts of dire famine conditions
Lucy Kassa, September 23rd, 2021, Al Jazeera
Testimonies and footage from Ethiopia’s war-hit region suggest dramatic worsening of humanitarian situation.
Ethiopia's Tigray crisis: Why are hundreds of aid trucks stranded?
Peter Mwai, September 27th, 2021, BBC
With concern mounting about the food situation in Ethiopia's Tigray region, there are conflicting claims about why supply trucks are stuck there, unable to transport further crucial supplies.
U.S. Sanctions
The exemplary U.S. sanctions regime for Ethiopia’s Tigray conflict and its limitations
Vanda Felbab-Brown, October 1st, 2021, Brookings Institute
On September 17, the Biden administration unveiled a new sanctions regime that in the coming weeks could be applied to a wide set of warring parties in Ethiopia. Its design and the diplomacy surrounding it are exemplars of a constructive U.S. engagement amidst an intensifying war and awful humanitarian situation.