What's behind the divisions in Ethiopia?

What's behind the divisions in Ethiopia?

 

Saturday May 29th at 2 pm
full Zoom information below

 

Join the Toronto East branch of the International Socialists featuring Ali Awali who is an IS member in the Toronto East branch and long-time revolutionary who was involved in Ethiopian student politics in the late 1960s. He will speak about the roots of the current conflict and the way forward for ordinary Ethiopians, followed by a period of discussion.

 

This is a fundraiser event for socialist.ca and for our upcoming Marxism 2021 conference.  

 

No donation is necessary to join the event. For those who can, we suggest a donation between $5 and $15 at our secure link

 

Last November the Ethiopian government military launched an offensive in Tigray Region in the north of the country, killing thousands and displacing millions. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, in December reported on atrocities inflicted on civilians, including, but not limited to, "artillery strikes on populated areas, the deliberate targeting of civilians, extrajudicial killings and widespread looting."

 

The TPLF (Tigray People's Liberation Front) defeated the counter-revolutionary Derg military regime in 1991 and were at the centre of Ethiopian power from then until 2018. They are the ruling party in Tigray Region, and have substantial military power. Their conflict with the Federal Government Of Ethiopia is a power struggle between different sections of the ruling class and a victory for either side will not benefit the ordinary people of Tigray, Ethiopia or the rest of East Africa.

 

The fight is between Federalists and those who want to get rid of Federalism and reintroduce a powerful Unitary State and in the process destroy the TPLF, who sponsored Federalism in Ethiopia in the first place. 

 

The explosion of communal violence is a legacy of the Ethiopian Empire of Emperor Menelik dating from the late nineteenth century who expanded his empire in the territories of the other nationalities who were never part of centuries old Abyssinia. One dimension of the conflict is the rivalry between the oppressed nationalities fighting for their freedom and those who want to maintain the status quo. However, the rivalry between the Tigray ruling class and the Amhara ruling class is a struggle between elites for power.

 

Here is the full Zoom link information:

International Socialists is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

 

Topic: What's Behind the Divisions in Ethiopia? an Toronto East IS fundraiser with Ali Awali

Time: May 29, 2021 02:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

 

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Meeting ID: 854 3607 1261

Passcode: 193376

 

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