Article summary
The selected article is on ethnic conflict within a nation. It presents the Ethiopian government and the people of Tigray as the two conflicting entities. Tigray people were able to fight dictatorship in Ethiopia between 1970 and 1980 (Walsh & Marks, 2020). They successfully toppled a hated Marxist dictator's leadership in 1991 (Walsh & Marks, 2020). They were then regarded as national heroes. From that time, they have ruled their country. However, when Abiy Ahmed became the prime minister of Ethiopia in 2018, he did not incorporate Tigray’s leadership in the government (Walsh & Marks, 2020). He was a young reformer who believed he was doing the right thing. However, tensions grew on November 4 th as military strikes were launched in Tigray by Abiy Ahmed (Walsh & Marks, 2020). Tigray is therefore at war again with the government as it was the case in the ’80s. The effects of these wars have far-reaching damages to the entire horn of Africa.
From the article, it is evident that Ethiopia comprises ten regions. These regions have been historically fighting for power. It implies that when Abiy Ahmed liberalized politics in 2018, he also fired the various ethnic groups (Walsh & Marks, 2020). Some of the communities with ethnic rivalry in Ethiopia are Oromo, Amhara, Tigray, and Somali. There has been an increase in the number of violent clashes experienced in 2020 (Walsh & Marks, 2020). This has translated to more deaths in the country. However, Tigray remains outstanding in its bid to press for autonomy among the country's various regions. Since phone and internet connections have been cut off in Tigray, it is difficult to understand what is happening in the region. The number of refugees moved to Sudan by Sunday totals to 20000, with Sudan preparing for more than 200000 refugees (Walsh & Marks, 2020). This has, therefore, become a concern for the United Nations.
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Relevance to the global community
The issue discussed is relevant to the global community for various reasons. The first reason is that it increases the number of refugees that move to Sudan and other neighboring countries. It is the role of the UN to ensure that refugees are protected in the camps they inhabit. It is also responsible for providing the refugees with essential needs such as food, water, and clothing. It implies that if the ethnic conflict persists, more Ethiopians will have to be refugees. This will increase the cost of running refugee camps that the refugees will reside. It is, therefore, a global concern when the spending of the United Nations spikes upwards.
The other reason that makes the issue under discussion relevant to the global community is that it involves killings. Due to the increased ethnic divisions, there have been warnings of genocide. The war has also spilled to neighboring countries such as Eritrea, implying that Ethiopia is not the only country affected (Walsh & Marks, 2020). The peacekeeping mission in Somalia has also been affected by the ethnic clashes in Ethiopia. This shows that Ethiopia’s situation could impact the entire horn of Africa and potentially spill over to the entire continent. This makes the issue relevant to the global community. It is in everyone's best interest when such issues are controlled before their effects spill over to other countries. Genocide is also a violation of human rights hence drawing the global community to the issue under discussion.
The credibility of the source
One way of determining the credibility of the identified article is by examining its authors' credentials. The article is authored by Declan Wash and Simon Marks (Walsh & Marks, 2020). Declan is the Cairo bureau chief. His stories cover Egypt and the Middle East. He has been working for the New York Times since 2011 and was previously working for the Guardian (Walsh & Marks, 2020). This makes him a credible source of information. The other aspect that can be used to determine a source's credibility is checking whether it's up to date. The article on Ethiopia's ethnic clashes was published on November 15 th, 2020 (Walsh & Marks, 2020). This shows that all the information published is relevant and applicable to the current scenario. The article was also updated on November 26 th, 2020, making it more credible (Walsh & Marks, 2020). The publisher, on the other hand, is the New York Times. Its neutrality can also determine the credibility of the article. The article is not in favour of the Ethiopian government or the people of Tigray. Instead, it elaborates how ethnic clashes are eminent within the country and how the federal government propels these conflicts. This is a credible organization that scrutinizes content posted on its website. From the analysis made above, the article under discussion is credible.
Outside forces could change the issue
The first external force that could change the issue is the Global Peace Operations Initiative. Through the initiative, it is possible to reach out to Ethiopia’s government and the Tigray people. It would then be possible to identify the cause of the issue at hand and solve it amicably. The other outside force that can be used to change the issue at hand is the United Nations. Through the UN, the human rights violation identified in the article can be eliminated. This is because the group fights such violations and any attempts of terrorism.
Reference
Walsh, D., & Marks, S. (2020, November 15). They once ruled Ethiopia. Now they are fighting its government . The New York Times - Breaking News, US News, World News, and Videos. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/15/world/africa/ethiopia-abiy-tigray.html
