Ethiopian Army Captures Three Towns In Tigray

Image copyright: Associated Press [via France 24]

The Facts

  • The Ethiopian government declared on Tuesday that its military has taken control of the towns of Shire, Alamata, and Korem from rebel forces in the war-torn Tigray region. The gains were allegedly achieved without the need for fighting in urban areas.

  • Tigray officials had previously conceded the loss of Shire, one of the region's biggest towns and the home of thousands already displaced from other areas by the conflict. The UN has expressed concern about air strikes carried out by the federal government in the region.


The Spin

Establishment-critical narrative

The international community has enabled the federal government to wage this genocidal war, commit atrocities, and eliminate the people of Tigray in a heinous attempt to control the region and ultimately redraw the Horn of Africa. Foreign actors have failed to solve this crisis – the only way to put an end to this conflict is to allow Tigrayans to decide whether they want to remain in Ethiopia or become an independent nation.

Pro-establishment narrative

The federal government and many other actors have attempted to send humanitarian aid and essential goods to help the people of Tigray during this conflict, but the so-called Tigrayan rebel forces have looted and confiscated deliveries for their own benefit. They're terrorists who've been prolonging the war in order to avoid facing accountability for the atrocities they've committed for 27 years.


Metaculus Prediction


Articles on this story