Podcasts about tigrayan

In this episode we sat down with Mehret Okubay, a Tigrayan journalist, human rights advocate and member of Omna Tigray, an organization dedicated to raising awareness about the violence committed against civilians during the conflict in Tigray, Ethiopia. Mehret shares an account of life under the blockade imposed on Tigray, detailing the hardships civilians faced daily, as well as the abuses they endured throughout the conflict. She also discusses the ongoing risks to civilians in the region and examines the impact of the federal government's transitional justice policy. Mehret concludes with her insights on how the international community can more effectively support victims and survivors of atrocity crimes in Ethiopia.

Hey, Uprooted Fam

For people who may not know, or who want to know more about the Tigray Genocide, this is an episode encapsulating the current politics from the perspective of Delina, Snit, and Heaven. With the utmost vulnerability, the girls share their experiences as Tigrayan women living in the diaspora, what is happening in Tigray today, and what we can do to help. This episode is full of information, knowledge, personal anecdotes, hope, and care. Please engage with an open heart as we touch on one of the worst atrocities of the century. This episode does have volume issues, please expect overlapping sounds to subside around 6 minutes. Intro (0:00), What is happening in Tigray? (6:10), Why is it controversial to say “Genocide”? (11:35), Pretoria Agreement- TPLF and Ethiopia (14:40), Immigrant parents and generational healing (17:50), Identifying as Tigrayan vs. Ethiopian (23:22), Mixed Identity (26:55), How do we feel about Ethiopian people now? (28:00), Why African countries get left out of these conversations (32:50), Social Media Activism (33:50), Palestine, Congo, Sudan, and interconnected struggles (41:30), How do we help Tigray? (44:50), Having hope (43:35), Canada is also complicit (47:00).

Content warning for discussion of genocide, torture, mutilation, rape, and slavery Hey, Hi, Hello, this is the History Wizard and welcome back for Day 15 of Have a Day w/ The History Wizard. Thank you to everyone who tuned in for Day 14 last week, and especially thank you to everyone who rated and/or reviewed the podcast. I hope you all learned something last week and I hope the same for this week. This week marks the 6th part of our mini series of currently ongoing genocides and humanitarian crises. Episode 2 was on Palestine, Episode 11 was on Congo, episode 12 was on Sudan, episode 13 was on Xinjiang, episode 14 was on Rakhine State, and today's episode will cover the genocide that is ongoing in Tigray in Ethiopia. Let's see what the Alchemist's Table has in store for us this time. Today's libation is called Memories of Summer. Muddle some mint and strawberries in the bottom of your shaker, add .5 oz of simple syrup, 2 oz of gunpowder gin, stir well for about 30 seconds before double straining over ice and topping with lemonade. Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint and enjoy. Now it's time for everyone's favorite part, it's time for the historical context. Tigray is both the northernmost regional state in Ethiopia, as well as an ethnicity. Tigray is known as the birthplace of Ethiopian civilization and their motto is “There is no mountain we would not climb.” That's fucking badass. When the Scramble for Africa began at the end of the 19th century CE barely 10% of africa was under EUropean colonial control, and by the time World War 1 broke out more than 90% of the country had been colonized, with only Liberia and Ethiopia remaining free states. While Ethiopia remained under its own sovereign control, this was in large part because they willingly allied themselves with Great Britain. In fact many Ethiopian troops fought on the side of Britain during the Mahdist War in Sudan that we discussed on Day 12. Part of Ethiopia's independence also came from their alliances with Italy. King Menelik II of Ethiopia signed the Treaty of Wuchale with Italy in 1889. This treaty guaranteed Ethiopian sovereignty as long as Italy could control areas north of Ethiopia's currently held territory (in areas that are now the nation of Eritrea) and in return Ethiopia would receive arms and munitions and Menelik would have Italian support as emperor. Menelik would remain emperor from 1889 until his death in 1913. Though, it is worth noting that Etiopia was only able to maintain its sovereignty because of their victory during the Italo-Ethiopian War that ran from January 1895 until October 1896. The beginning of Menelik's rule was marked by severe tragedy though as it coincided with the 1890s African rinderpest epizootic. Which is a very fancy way of saying that disease killed 90% of Ethiopia's cattle and that this, combined with a drought caused by reduced rainfall killed about 1/3rd of the country's population. The virus, known as Rinderpest, is potentially thought to have been introduced into Eritrea in 1887 by Indian cattle brought by the Italians for their campaign against Somalia. Lack of rainfall from as early as 16 November 1888 led to famine in all but southernmost provinces; locusts and caterpillar infestations destroy crops in Akele Guzay, Begemder, Shewa, and around Harar. Conditions worsened with a typhus epidemic, a major smallpox epidemic (1889–90), and cholera outbreaks (1889–92). Making the beginning of Melenik's rule really fucking bad. Near the end of his life Melenik was filled with with concern over issues of succession. He hadn't yet picked an heir and if he died without one his nation would descend into civil war and would become ripe for the picking for European colonial powers. He would eventually settle on one of his grandchildren Lij Iyasu, as his heir. Iyasu would only reign for about 3 years before being deposed on charges of converting to Islam. Ethiopia had been a Christian kingdom since King Ezana of the Aksumite Empire adopted Christianity as the official religion in the 4th century CE. There's no definitive proof that Iyasu converted to Islam at any point in his life, but there was enough “proof” that everyone felt comfortable stipping him of authority and giving it to Haile Selassie. He served as the Regent for Empress Zedwditu from 1916 until her death in 1930, and after her death served as Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 until he was deposed in 1974 by the Derg following the 1973 oil crisis. Derg or Dergue is Amharic (a Semitic language descended from Ge'ez, which is the liturgical language of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. It translates as committee or council. Now, Ethiopia would fall under partial Italian control during the 1930s as part of the Second Italo-Ethiopian War between Fascist Italy and Ethiopia, and while Italy would have some successes during this war, they'd never attain full control over Ethiopia, making Ethiopia the only African nation to not ever fall under colonial control. Some would argue that Liberia would fall under that umbrella as well, but considering that Liberia, as a nation, was artificially created by the US as a place for freed slaves to return to, I don't think it qualifies. Haile Selassie as the emperor of Ethiopia would be one of the founding members of the United Nations. Haile Selassie's rule ended on 12 September 1974, when he was deposed by the Derg, a committee made up of military and police officers. After the execution of 60 former government and military officials, the new Provisional Military Administrative Council abolished the monarchy in March 1975 and established Ethiopia as a Marxist-Leninist state. The abolition of feudalism, increased literacy, nationalization, and sweeping land reform including the resettlement and villagization from the Ethiopian Highlands became priorities. Mengistu Haile Mariam would become the ruler of Ethiopia following the fall of Haile Selassie until in May 1991, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) forces advanced on Addis Ababa from all sides, and Mengistu fled the country with 50 family and Derg members. He was granted asylum in Zimbabwe as an official guest of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe. Now the period of Derg rule is also known as the Ethiopian Civil War. It lasted from 1974 until 1991. The Derg in its attempt to introduce full-fledged socialist ideals, fulfilled its main slogan of "Land to the Tiller", by redistributing land in Ethiopia that once belonged to landlords to the peasants tilling the land. Although this was made to seem like a fair and just redistribution, the mismanagement, corruption, and general hostility to the Derg's violent and harsh rule coupled with the draining effects of constant warfare, separatist guerrilla movements in Eritrea and Tigray, resulted in a drastic decline in general productivity of food and cash crops. Although Ethiopia is often prone to chronic droughts, no one was prepared for the scale of drought and the 1983–1985 famine that struck the country in the mid-1980s, in which 400,000–590,000 people are estimated to have died.  Hundreds of thousands fled economic misery, conscription and political repression, and went to live in neighboring countries and all over the Western world, creating an Ethiopian diaspora community for the first time in its history. Insurrections against the Derg's rule sprang up with ferocity, particularly in the northern regions of Tigray and Eritrea which sought independence and in some regions in the Ogaden. The Ethiopian Civil War left at least 1.4 million people dead, with 1 million related to famine and the remainder from violence and conflicts, which is one third of population.  In July 1991, the EPRDF convened a National Conference to establish the Transitional Government of Ethiopia composed of an 87-member Council of Representatives and guided by a national charter that functioned as a transitional constitution. In 1994, a new constitution was written that established a parliamentary republic with a bicameral legislature and a judicial system. Mengistu's authoritarian military regime faced organized opposition for all of its fourteen years of rule. Opposition groups including the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Party (EPRP), a rival Marxist–Leninist group, and the Tigray-based Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front, a coalition of ethnic democratic forces, led armed resistance to the Derg in a conflict known as the Ethiopian Civil War. The Derg used violence, commonly enacted through military campaigns, to suppress dissidents. In 1976, the Derg instigated the Qey Shibir (Ethiopian Red Terror), a violent political repression campaign targeting the EPRP.  Under Mengistu's leadership, the Derg did not only rely on state personnel to carry out the Qey Shibir; it also armed militias and civilian supporters and granted "genuine revolutionaries and patriots" impunity, further localizing state violence.  The Qey Shibir resulted in 50,000 fatalities.  In addition, many victims of the Qey Shibir were subjected to torture, exile, and sexual assault. The Qey Shibir and the 1983-1985 famine, an event partly created and exacerbated by the government's military policies, increased popular support for the EPRDF, which successfully overthrew Mengistu's regime in 1991. As we entered the 21st century ethnic tensions began to increase between the people of northern Ethiopia, specifically in the Tigray region and the rest of the nation.  Data from the Minorities at Risk (MAR) project were used by Charles E. Riddle to study the degrees of discrimination by the dominant Amharas against the non-dominant ethnic groups in Ethiopia from 1950 to 1992, during the later reign of Emperor Haile Selassie and that of Mengistu Haile Mariam of the Derg. Amharas dominated during the Haile Selassie epoch.  Systematic discrimination against Afars occurred throughout the period. Tigrayans were initially culturally assimilated with the Amharas, speaking Amharic, and suffered little discrimination. Under the Haile Selassie government, the Oromo language was legally banned from education, public speaking and use in administration. During the Haile Selassie regime, the Harari people were persecuted. The imperial forces ordered the confiscation of Harari property and mass arrests of Harari men, as a result an estimated 10,000 Hararis fled their homeland in 1948. The Derg culturally rejected the Tigrayans, who decreased their usage of Amharic, reverting to Tigrinya, and discrimination against the Tigrayans became strong. Eritreans, treated by MAR and Riddle as an ethnic group, and Somalis were strongly discriminated against throughout the period. The Oromos were initially strongly discriminated against, but adopted Amharic as their official language when the Derg came to power, and discrimination against them dropped. Both the Haile Selassie and the Derg governments relocated numerous Amharas into southern Ethiopia where they served in government administration, courts, church and even in school, where Oromo texts were eliminated and replaced by Amharic. In the aftermath of the Ogaden War during the 70s, Hararis, Somalis and Oromo Muslims were targeted by the Derg Government. This leads us to needing to talk about the Tigrayan People's Liberation Front. The Tigray People's Liberation Front, also called the Tigrayan People's Liberation Front, is a left-wing ethnic nationalist, paramilitary group, and the former ruling party of Ethiopia. The TPLF was in charge of Ethiopia from the time the Derg was overthrown in 1991 until 2018. Now it's finally time to get to the beginnings of the Tigray Wart and the Tigray genocide. To do that we need to discuss the 2020 Tigray regional election. As we stated previously, Tigray is a regional state of Ethiopia, and in 2020 Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia postponed the 2020 general election over concerns of COVID 19. Tigray decided to hold their elections anyway, regardless of the proclamation made by Ahmed. Their election was considered illegal by the Ethiopian federal government. The TPLF won 98.2 percent of the vote. After years of increased tensions and hostilities between the TPLF and the governments of Ethiopia and Eritrea, fighting began when TPLF forces attacked the Northern Command headquarters of the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF), alongside a number of other bases in Tigray. The ENDF counterattacked from the south – while Eritrean Defence Forces (EDF) began launching attacks from the north – which Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed described as a "law enforcement operation". The war officially ended in November 2022. On 2 November 2022, the Ethiopian government and Tigrayan leaders signed a peace accord, with the African Union as a mediator, and agreed on "orderly, smooth and coordinated disarmament". The agreement was made effective the next day on 3 November, marking the two-year anniversary of the war. As part of this process, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed appointed TPLF's Getachew Reda as head of the Interim Regional Administration of Tigray, and the Ethiopian parliament removed the TPLF from its terrorism list. But where does the Tigray Genocide come into play? Why are we talking about this civil war in this podcast? Let's get into it. Issued on Tuesday, June 4th  by the United States-based New Lines Institute, aa 120-page draft quotes multiple, widespread and credible independent reports that Ethiopian forces and their allies carried out “acts constituting the crime of genocide” during the conflict, which ran between 2020-22. The authors call for Ethiopia to be brought before the International Court of Justice. In a report issued in September 2023, the United Nations said war crimes and crimes against humanity were still being committed nearly a year after government and Tigrayan regional forces agreed to end the fighting. It says the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF), alongside the allied Eritrean Defence Forces (EDF) and assorted regional militia “possessed the intent to destroy Tigrayans as an ethnic group”. At least four acts constituting the crime of genocide are noted in the report: killing Tigrayans, causing serious bodily or mental harm, deliberately inflicting conditions of life upon Tigrayans calculated to bring about their destruction, and imposing measures intended to prevent births among Tigrayans. Additionally, the finger is pointed at social media posts made by “certain individuals” that constitute public incitement to genocide. Ethiopia, which has been accused of seeking to prevent international scrutiny, has repeatedly denied that its forces carried out war crimes during the conflict. Eritrea has claimed such accusations against it are defamatory. However, the new report, which took two years to compile and features the contribution of dozens of legal experts, backs up the findings of the UN by stating that there is “reasonable basis to believe” that the countries are responsible for war crimes and/or crimes against humanity. In conclusion, the authors call on the international community to put pressure on Ethiopia via bilateral relations, as well as bringing the country before the ICJ. The war had a devastating impact on the healthcare system of Tigray; of the 853 health facilities in the region, 86% were at least partially damaged; 232 of them were left "completely unusable", and 28 were destroyed entirely. It also led to a higher rate of maternal and infant mortality in the Tigray Region. In a study funded by UNFPA Ethiopia and UNICEF Ethiopia, it was estimated that maternal mortality rates had increased from 186 deaths per 100,000 people pre-war to 840 deaths per 100,000 people post-war. According to Tigrayan health official Tsegay Gidey, 81% of mothers in the Seharti Samre woreda had birth defects, and 32 newborn infants had died between January–June 2023. Although the war largely came to a halt after the peace agreement was signed, Eritrea continues to occupy parts of Tigray as of mid-2023. The EDF has been responsible for the deaths of thousands of people in northern Ethiopia since November 2022; from 17 to 25 November alone, Eritrea was reported to have destroyed 241 houses and killed at least 111 people. by 30 December, it was estimated that Eritrean and Amhara forces killed 3,700 since the signing of the peace deal. The Tigray Health Bureau noted that 852 cases of rape and sexual assault were reported between November and December 2022; according to aid workers and interviews with survivors, most of these were committed by Eritrean forces. As of January 2023, over half of Irob district was occupied by Eritrea. Irob advocacy groups and former residents have described it as a "de-facto annexation" of the area. A religious Irob leader told The Guardian in August 2023 that Eritrea was blocking off international aid to the area, and lamented that "there has been no improvement for us since the peace."  In January 2024, Human Rights Watch reported that authorities and regional forces were still forcibly expelling Tigrayans from their homes in the Western Tigray Zone, which is largely inaccessible to humanitarian agencies. Additionally, nearly 40% of the Tigrayan population is suffering from extreme food shortages, a situation made worse by the World Food Program's suspension of aid deliveries in May 2023. All the available evidence points to a continued genocide against the Tigray people from the governments of Ethiopia and Eritrea as they as systematically denied food, water and access to medical care.  The Tigray Genocide is often described as “The War The World Forgot”, and based on the West's general attitude towards Africa this feels right. Especially when I account for the fact that I, a genocide studies scholar didn't even know about the Tigray Genocide until 2024. I account this a failure on my part, but also on the part of the global mainstream media that this never even came across any of the news websites I frequent, nor the social media websites I, more often, get reputable news from. That's it for this week folks. No new reviews, so let's get right into the outro. Have a Day! w/ The History Wizard is brought to you by me, The History Wizard. If you want to see/hear more of me you can find me on Tiktok @thehistorywizard or on Instagram @the_history_wizard. Please remember to rate, review, and subscribe to Have a Day! On your pod catcher of choice. The more you do, the more people will be able to listen and learn along with you. Thank you  for sticking around until the end and, as always, Have a Day, and Free Tigray.          

Since a fragile 2022 peace deal ended Ethiopia's two-year war between Tigrayan fighters and federal forces, there are signs of recovery in the capital of Tigray. Also, Zanzibar commemorates the abolition of slavery. The island was a key stopping-off point for Arab slavers across East Africa for hundreds of years.

Women and children's rights activist, Maebel Gebremedhin, co-founder and president of Tigray Action Committee, shares the Tigrayan story of the conflict between the Government of Ethiopia, acting in alliance with Eritrea, and the Tigray People's Liberation Front on Madam Policy this week. Born in a refugee camp in Sudan, Maebel sits down with host Dee Martin to discuss the “forgotten war,” conflict-based gender violence, and how her family background shaped her path in life. This episode spotlights the importance of women being involved in decision making processes, living by the mantra “if not me, then who?”, and how drawing attention to an issue can create change. Tune in to learn more!

ብሰንበት 28 መጋቢት 1976 ኣብ ማእከል ኣስመራ ሓደ ናይ ደርጊ ኮሎኔል ብፈዳይን ተቐቲሉ። ብድሕር'ዚ ሰራዊት ኢትዮጵያ ሕነ ንምፍዳይ፡ ብጃምላ ንብዙሓት ሰላማዊያን ሰባት ቀቲሎም። እቶም ወተሃደራት ኢትዮጵያ ኣብ ኣባይቲ ኣስመራ ሰይሮም ብምእታዉ፡ ኣብ ቅድሚ ዘፍቅሮም ስድራቤቱ ብጥይት ካብ ዝቐተልዎ ግዳያት ሓደ ኤለክትሪሻን መንእሰይ ነይሩ። ብድሕር'ዚ እታ ስድራቤት ኣብ ሓዘንን ነቲ ዝተጸጥሐ ሬሳ ሒዛ ተሪፋ። ነቲ ፍጻመ ምስቲ ኣብ ትግራይ ዝተፈጸመ ከቢድ ኲናት ብምትሕሓዝ ንሓቀኛ ታሪኽ ኣቦይ ይርጋዉ ባህታ ወዶም ዶ/ር ኢሰይያስ ይርጋዉ ባህታ “the TIGRAYan electrician, Memories of my father and his beloved motherland” ብዝብል ኣርእስቲ መጽሓፍ ጽሒፉ ኣሎ። ኣብቲ እዋን ቅትለት ወዲ 15 ዓመት ዝነበረ ወዶም ዶ/ር ኢሰይያስ ኣብ ኣሜሪካ ካብ ዘለዉ ክኢላታት መጥባሕቲ ኮይኑ ናይቲ እዋን ዝኽሩን ዝፍጸም ግፍዕታት ብዛዕባ ዝጸሓፎ ምሳና ጻንሒት ገይሩ ኣሎ።

In this episode of The Horn, Alan is joined by Michael Woldemariam, associate professor at the University of Maryland's School of Public Policy, to discuss the landscape in Ethiopia one year after the peace deal in Tigray. They explore how relations between Addis Ababa and Tigrayan leaders have evolved since the signing of a peace deal in Pretoria last year and the many challenges Tigray still faces today. They discuss how Abiy's wartime alliance with Eritrea and the Amhara elite broke down, leading to a new war in the Amhara region and rising tensions with Ethiopia. They also look at whether Addis Ababa's recent bid for access to the Red Sea could raise the risks of a regional escalation.For more in-depth analysis of the topics discussed in this episode, check out our briefing Ethiopia's Ominous New War in Amhara and our Ethiopia country page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

WHO holds conference with African parliaments on emergency response +++ Tigrayan women dealing with trauma after war +++ Nigeria's separatist group lays claim to Cameroon's Bakassi Peninsula

Today we're bringing you a bonus episode on Ethiopia and Eritrea from Crisis Group's The Horn podcast.The contemporary rivalry between Eritrea and Tigray goes back several decades. After an almost-17-year-long civil war starting in the mid-1970s, the Eritrean EPLF and Tigrayan TPLF jointly defeated Ethiopia's Derg regime in 1991, resulting in Eritrea's independence and the TPLF taking power in Ethiopia. Despite their joint achievement, their already-complicated relations soon started to sour. A growing power struggle, as well as unresolved territorial disputes between the two sides, led to a deadly border war lasting from 1998 to 2000. Meanwhile, an increasingly repressive Eritrean regime found itself regionally and globally isolated. A new administration in Ethiopia under Abiy Ahmed signed a peace agreement with Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki in 2018, formally ending the border war. However, this rapprochement between Addis Ababa and Asmara also appeared to pave the way for Ethiopia's civil war, with Eritrea allying with Ethiopia's federal government in the war against Tigrayan forces in northern Ethiopia that started in 2020.In this episode of The Horn, Alan is joined by Michael Woldemariam, associate professor at the University of Maryland's School of Public Policy, to take a deep dive into the long and tumultuous relationship between Eritrea and Tigray to understand Eritrea's motives and objectives in the Ethiopian conflict. They talk about the origins of the relations between the EPLF and the TPLF and their shared struggle against Ethiopia's Derg regime from the 1970s to 1991. They unpack how relations between the two sides soured in a struggle for power and authority, culminating in the deadly border clashes starting in 1998. They also discuss how Eritrean President Afwerki's motivations in the conflict in northern Ethiopia have shifted over time. Finally, they talk about how to navigate Eritrea's role while trying to end the conflict in Tigray. Please note that this episode was recorded before the 2 November truce agreement between Ethiopia's federal government and Tigray's leaders.For more in-depth analysis on Ethiopia and Eritrea, make sure to check out our Horn of Africa regional page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tigray was cut off from the rest of Ethiopia and the outside world for nearly two years. As a civil war raged on, the region was under a de facto blockade that impacted everything from food to phone lines. The war resulted in one of the world's worst humanitarian disasters, and widespread human rights abuses, including sexual violence. But a peace agreement signed between the Ethiopian government and Tigrayan forces in November means the region is beginning to open up again. So what does that mean for the people in Tigray?  In this episode:  Lucy Kassa (@berhe_lucy), investigative journalist Jude Fuhnwi (@FuhnwiJ), ICRC spokesperson in Ethiopia Episode credits: This episode was produced by Negin Owliaei with Chloe K. Li, Miranda Lin, and our host, Halla Mohieddeen.  Miranda Lin, Alexandra Locke, and Amy Walters fact-checked this episode. Our production team includes Chloe K. Li, Miranda Lin, Ashish Malhotra, Negin Owliaei, and Amy Walters.  Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Aya Elmileik and Adam Abou-Gad are our engagement producers. Alexandra Locke is The Take's executive producer, and Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

Sam and Emma host Alex de Waal, Executive Director of The World Peace Foundation and Professor at Tufts University, to discuss the ongoing civil conflict in Ethiopia and how it is affecting the Tigrayan people. First, Sam and Emma run through updates on the US funding bill, GOP killing cannabis reform, the final DOJ criminal referrals coming out of the 1/6 committee, the USPS' shift towards electric, and more on George Santos' resume, before diving deeper into the January 6th committee, and the US' long history of refusing to hold powerful white men to account. Alex de Waal then calls in as he gets right into walking through the long history of war in Ethiopia, beginning with tensions between the authoritarian leadership of Ethiopia (supported by the West) and the totalitarian regime of Eritrea, and the decades of war that came from it, culminating with the election of Abiy Ahmed as Prime Minister of Ethiopia, a shift away from the Tigrayan party leadership of the last few decades, who pushed for a security pact with Isaias Afwerki's Eritrea. Parsing through this shift, Alex, Sam, and Emma tackle the progression of regional supremacy from the era of Haile Selassie's Amhara leadership, through the Tigrayan decades, and into the recent turn against Tigray, as Ahmed and Afwerki used their pact to stamp out the Tigrayan political party that had dominated Ethiopian politics for the last few decades. After tackling the nature of this conflict as a battle for greater global/continental supremacy, de Waal walks through the differing perspectives on Tigray between Ahmed (who is largely taking a political opportunity) and Afwerki (who is seen to hold genocidal intentions), and how this resulted – despite strong defense from Tigrayan forces at first – in an attempt to starve out the Tigrayan people. After running through the massive devastation that came out of this genocidal endeavor between Ethiopia and Eritrea, Alex, Sam, and Emma explore how they got the rest of the African Union, and the world writ large, to look the other way, before wrapping up by tackling the recent treaties signed that put a stop to hostilities in Tigray, and why conflict in the country is not coming to a close despite them. And in the Fun Half: Sam and Emma parse through the various holes in Congressman-Elect George Santos's resume, and expand the conversation on the US' refusal to hold their political leaders accountable. They also tackle the simmering beef between Lauren Boebert and Majorie Taylor Greene, dive into Greg Gutfeld having fun with the concept of child abuse, and discuss the failure of local news outlets to cover George Santos' lies, plus, your calls and IMs! Check out Alex's writing at the Quincy Institute here: https://responsiblestatecraft.org/author/adewaal/ Check out the World Peace Foundation at Tufts here: https://sites.tufts.edu/wpf/ Check out the Wildfire Project here: http://wildfireproject.org/ Become a member at JoinTheMajorityReport.com: https://fans.fm/majority/join Subscribe to the ESVN YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/esvnshow Subscribe to the AMQuickie newsletter here: https://am-quickie.ghost.io/ Join the Majority Report Discord! http://majoritydiscord.com/ Get all your MR merch at our store: https://shop.majorityreportradio.com/ Get the free Majority Report App!: http://majority.fm/app Check out today's sponsors: Tushy: Hello Tushy cleans your butt with a precise stream of fresh water for just $79. It attaches to your existing toilet – requires NO electricity or additional plumbing – and cuts toilet paper use by 80% – so the Hello Tushy bidet pays for itself in a few months. Go to https://hellotushy.com/majority to get 10% off today! Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter: @SamSeder @EmmaVigeland @MattBinder @MattLech @BF1nn @BradKAlsop Check out Matt's show, Left Reckoning, on Youtube, and subscribe on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/leftreckoning Subscribe to Discourse Blog, a newsletter and website for progressive essays and related fun partly run by AM Quickie writer Jack Crosbie. https://discourseblog.com/ Check out Ava Raiza's music here! https://avaraiza.bandcamp.com/ The Majority Report with Sam Seder - https://majorityreportradio.com/

In the news media, war receives more attention than peace. But some wars get more attention than others. From November 2020 to November 2022, a civil war bloodier than Russia's war in Ukraine was fought in Tigray, a region in northern Ethiopia. Hundreds of thousands of lives were lost, and millions were displaced. Yet depending on where you get your news, you may have heard very little about it. One reason for the shortage of coverage was the communications blackout in Tigray. Ethiopia's government shut down internet and phone communications across the region, and barred journalists from entering war zones. But that didn't stop our guest. Freelance journalist Lucy Kassa investigated some of the worst atrocities of the conflict, including those carried out by all sides. Her reporting helped show the world that Ethiopian troops' actions inside Tigray amounted to an ethnic cleansing campaign. Her articles have been published in major international outlets, including The Guardian, Al Jazeera, and the LA Times. While a peace deal was signed in November, Lucy continues to investigate reports of human rights violations in Tigray. She spoke with host Jamil Simon about how she verifies accounts, how she approaches interviewing survivors of sexual violence, what she sees as her role in the conflict, and what it will take for real peace to hold. Follow Lucy Kassa on Twitter: @berhe_lucy. Read Lucy's report for Al Jazeera. “‘A Tigrayan womb should never give birth': Rape in Tigray,” awarded a 2022 Amnesty International Media AwardRead Lucy's account of the raiding of her apartment in 2021 by Ethiopian government agents Learn more about the Tigray conflictStart Here from Al Jazeera: The Conflict in Ethiopia“How a new ‘Great War of Africa' is raging under the cover of a media blackout,” by Will Brown, Lucy Kassa, and Zecharias Zelalem for The Telegraph“Tigray forces in Ethiopia say 65% of fighters have left frontline,” by Al Jazeera Making Peace Visible is a project of War Stories Peace Stories. Our mission is to bring journalists and peacebuilders together to re-imagine the way the news media covers peace and conflict, and to facilitate expanded coverage of global peace and reconciliation efforts. Join the conversation on Twitter @warstoriespeace and on LinkedIn at War Stories Peace Stories.Making Peace Visible is hosted by Jamil Simon, and produced by Andrea Muraskin. Music in this episode by Podington Bear, Zero V, Doyeq, Meavy Boy, and Bill Vortex.

There have been a number of deaths during rare demonstrations in the southern Syrian city of Sweida. Also: the Tigrayan force chief in northern Ethiopia says many of his fighters have pulled back from the battle front, and a happy 190th birthday to Jonathan the giant tortoise.

One of the most costly conflicts of the 21st century may be over. Representatives of the Ethiopian government and Tigrayan rebels signed a peace agreement earlier this month. After two years of war, and perhaps half a million civilian deaths, Tigrayan forces are to give up their weapons; the Ethiopian army will take control of Tigray; and aid should begin to reach millions of desperate people. Stephen Sackur speaks to Getachew Reda, who signed the deal on behalf of the Tigray People's Liberation Front. Was this in effect the TPLF's surrender?

Two weeks after a peace agreement between Ethiopia and Tigray was reached, humanitarian aid finally started to arrive in the Tigrayan region on Tuesday. It's the first sign that Ethiopia's blockade, cutting off food, medicine and communications, is ending. The brutal two-year-long civil war has led to the death of as many 600,000 people.The Globe and Mail's Africa Bureau Chief, Geoffrey York explains why this deal is so desperately needed, how the arrival of aid is a step in the right direction and why a number of factors still exist that could threaten its implementation.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

*) Blaming Russia for Poland missile attack will escalate tensions: Erdogan Türkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan voices the need to respect Russia's statement on reports of a suspected missile attack on Poland, saying pointing fingers at Russia would further escalate tensions. Erdogan's remarks came after NATO member Poland said that a Russian-made missile landed on its territory, about six kilometres from Ukraine's border, and killed two people. The Turkish president said an investigation into the issue is essential. Russia denies carrying out the attack and US President Joe Biden also said it was "unlikely" that the missile was fired from Russia. *) Donald Trump launches 2024 White House bid Former US president Donald Trump announces that he's running for the White House again in 2024. The 76-year-old says he “will ensure” incumbent President Joe Biden does not get “four more years” in office. Trump was defeated by Biden in the 2020 presidential election, but initially refused to concede. *) First ICRC aid convoy arrives in Ethiopia's Tigray after peace deal The International Committee of the Red Cross says a medical aid convoy arrived in the capital of Ethiopia's Tigray region. Two trucks of medicines, emergency and first aid kits arrived in the war-ravaged region following a peace deal between the government and the Tigrayan rebels earlier this month. The region of six million people has been suffering from a severe lack of food and medicine, as well as limited access to basic services. *) UK has a new tool to track people facing deportation The UK will soon bring into operation a GPS-enabled fingerprint scanner to verify the exact location and identity of people subject to deportation orders, a report published by New Scientist has said. GPS-enabled ankle tags have already been in use in the UK since at least August 2021, but these new devices take it a notch higher. Rights campaigners say such a measure is a form of unnecessary biometric surveillance and could add to people's mental health problems. And finally… *) 'Loud music' could put around one billion youth at risk of hearing loss Around one billion young people worldwide could be at risk of hearing loss from listening to headphones or attending loud music venues. The World Health Organization-led study called on young people to be more careful about their listening habits and urged governments and manufacturers to do more to protect future hearing. More than 430 million people — over five percent of the world's population — currently have disabling hearing loss, according to the WHO, which estimates the number will rise to 700 million by 2050.

*) Prime suspect in Istanbul bomb attack detained: Turkish authorities Turkish authorities have detained dozens of suspects, including the prime suspect in the bomb attack that killed 6 people and injured 81 on Istanbul's iconic Istiklal Avenue. The prime suspect, who is believed to have planted the explosive device, was identified as 23-year-old Syrian national Ahlam Albashir. The suspect said that she had entered Türkiye illegally from Syria after taking orders from the PKK/YPG terrorist organisation, officials said. *) Ethiopian government, Tigray rebels sign deal on ceasefire implementation The Ethiopian government and Tigrayan rebels have signed an agreement in Nairobi that lays out a road map for peace. Saturday's deal means an end to the bloody two-year conflict between Ethiopia's federal army and rebels in the Tigray region, could be in sight. Both sides said they will allow aid deliveries to the Tigray region, where millions of people desperately need food and medicines. *) Live blog: Intense fighting continues in Donetsk region — Ukraine Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says fighting in the eastern Donetsk region has intensified in recent days. The clashes end the relative calm that had briefly followed Moscow's annexation of Doneskt and three other regions in September. Russia has sought to control the wider Donbass region in eastern Ukraine, which contains the country's industrial hub. *) Slovenia elects first female president Pirc Musar in run-off Liberal rights advocate Natasa Pirc Musar [NATASA PIRS MUSAHR] has won a run-off to become Slovenia's first female head of state. Pirc Musar will be the first woman to serve as president since Slovenia became independent amid the breakup of Yugoslavia in 1991. A prominent lawyer, Pirc Musar had represented former US first lady Melania Trump in copyright and other cases in her native Slovenia. *) England beat Pakistan to win T20 World Cup final by 5 wickets England beat Pakistan by five wickets to win the Twenty20 World Cup at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday. Ben Stokes and Sam Curran starred with the bat and bowl respectively as England edged Pakistan in the final of the cricket tournament. Enlgand have become the sport's first dual white-ball champions, holding both the 50- and 20-over titles.

Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian forces had left the city of Kherson with no heat, electricity, water supply or communications. Also: Ethiopia and Tigrayan rebels agree to facilitate aid deliveries into conflict zone, and an Iranian man who lived in a French airport for eighteen years has died.

The News makes another star appearance (featuring Danny and Derek). This week: A Ukraine diplomatic (0:50) and military (5:50) update, negotiations over the Northern Ireland Protocol (10:13), Responsible Statecraft's new report on special visas for Afghan auxiliaries (13:54), the new far-right Israeli government (17:53), Ethiopian and Tigrayan negotiations to implement the new peace deal (21:50), Sudan's junta government begins negotiations for a transfer of power (24:31), and the glory of COP27 (27:35). Recorded Thursday, November 10, 2022 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.americanprestigepod.com/subscribe

Today we're bringing you a bonus episode on Ethiopia from Crisis Group's Global Podcast Hold Your Fire!.On 2 November, the Ethiopian federal government and Tigrayan forces reached an agreement to cease hostilities and end almost two years of bloody war in Ethiopia's northern Tigray region. The truce came after the Ethiopian army, together with Eritrean troops and forces from the Amhara region, which borders Tigray, made rapid advances into Tigray over recent weeks. It raises hopes that peace in Tigray might be within reach and that the region's humanitarian crisis – amplified by a federal blockade on aid throughout much of the war – can finally be addressed. However, peace talks did not include Eritrea, despite its involvement in the war, and the deal includes no provisions about what will happen to the Eritrean forces in Tigray. It does involve other major concessions for the Tigrayans, who agreed to fully disarm within a month. In this episode of Hold Your Fire!, Richard Atwood is joined by Murithi Mutiga, Crisis Group's Africa director, to talk about the cessation of hostilities and its implications. They talk about the events leading to the truce, Ethiopia's recent offensive in the Tigray region, Eritrea's involvement in the conflict and how all sides are likely to view and respond to the agreement. They address the role of the African Union and its envoy, former Nigerian President Olesugun Obasanjo, in brokering the agreement. They also talk about the influence of external actors in Ethiopia and how the support of countries like the United Arab Emirates and Türkiye for the Ethiopian government shaped battlefield dynamics. They ask what went wrong with a transition in Ethiopia that had generated enormous optimism in its early years, and what the coming years might bring for politics in the Horn of Africa at a moment of considerable flux. For more on the situation in Ethiopia, check out Crisis Group's extensive analysis on our Ethiopia country page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On 2 November, the Ethiopian federal government and Tigrayan forces reached an agreement to cease hostilities and end almost two years of bloody war in Ethiopia's northern Tigray region. The truce came after the Ethiopian army, together with Eritrean troops and forces from the Amhara region, which borders Tigray, made rapid advances into Tigray over recent weeks. It raises hopes that peace in Tigray might be within reach and that the region's humanitarian crisis – amplified by a federal blockade on aid throughout much of the war – can finally be addressed. However, peace talks did not include Eritrea, despite its involvement in the war, and the deal includes no provisions about what will happen to the Eritrean forces in Tigray. It does involve other major concessions for the Tigrayans, who agreed to fully disarm within a month. In this episode of Hold Your Fire!, Richard Atwood is joined by Murithi Mutiga, Crisis Group's Africa director, to talk about the cessation of hostilities and its implications. They talk about the events leading to the truce, Ethiopia's recent offensive in the Tigray region, Eritrea's involvement in the conflict and how all sides are likely to view and respond to the agreement. They address the role of the African Union and its envoy, former Nigerian President Olesugun Obasanjo, in brokering the agreement. They also talk about the influence of external actors in Ethiopia and how the support of countries like the United Arab Emirates and Türkiye for the Ethiopian government shaped battlefield dynamics. They ask what went wrong with a transition in Ethiopia that had generated enormous optimism in its early years, and what the coming years might bring for politics in the Horn of Africa at a moment of considerable flux. For more on the situation in Ethiopia, check out Crisis Group's extensive analysis on our Ethiopia country page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The contemporary rivalry between Eritrea and Tigray goes back several decades. After an almost-17-year-long civil war starting in the mid-1970s, the Eritrean EPLF and Tigrayan TPLF jointly defeated Ethiopia's Derg regime in 1991, resulting in Eritrea's independence and the TPLF taking power in Ethiopia. Despite their joint achievement, their already-complicated relations soon started to sour. A growing power struggle, as well as unresolved territorial disputes between the two sides, led to a deadly border war lasting from 1998 to 2000. Meanwhile, an increasingly repressive Eritrean regime found itself regionally and globally isolated. A new administration in Ethiopia under Abiy Ahmed signed a peace agreement with Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki in 2018, formally ending the border war. However, this rapprochement between Addis Ababa and Asmara also appeared to pave the way for Ethiopia's civil war, with Eritrea allying with Ethiopia's federal government in the war against Tigrayan forces in northern Ethiopia that started in 2020.In this episode of The Horn, Alan is joined by Michael Woldemariam, associate professor at the University of Maryland's School of Public Policy, to take a deep dive into the long and tumultuous relationship between Eritrea and Tigray to understand Eritrea's motives and objectives in the Ethiopian conflict. They talk about the origins of the relations between the EPLF and the TPLF and their shared struggle against Ethiopia's Derg regime from the 1970s to 1991. They unpack how relations between the two sides soured in a struggle for power and authority, culminating in the deadly border clashes starting in 1998. They also discuss how Eritrean President Afwerki's motivations in the conflict in northern Ethiopia have shifted over time. Finally, they talk about how to navigate Eritrea's role while trying to end the conflict in Tigray. Please note that this episode was recorded before the 2 November truce agreement between Ethiopia's federal government and Tigray's leaders.For more in-depth analysis on Ethiopia and Eritrea, make sure to check out our Horn of Africa regional page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

*) UN to build $3B global early warning system The United Nations unveils a five-year plan to build a global early warning system for deadly and costly extreme weather events amplified by climate crisis. The price tag – a relatively modest $3.1 billion, or less than 50 cents per person – is a small price to pay for proven methods that can save thousands, if not millions, of lives, UN chief Antonio Guterres says at the COP27 climate summit in Egypt. World leaders are in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el Sheikh for the 13-day talks on climate crisis. *) US voters head to polls for mid-term elections Voters across the US will head to the polls later on Tuesday, for crucial mid-term elections. President Joe Biden's Democratic Party currently controls both the Senate and the House of Representatives. But the Republicans are optimistic about winning both chambers of Congress. Meanwhile, Biden's approval rating slipped to 39 percent just ahead of the elections. *) US, Russia communication channels are open The US National Security Adviser has confirmed that communication channels between Washington and Moscow, have remained open throughout its attack on Ukraine. Jake Sullivan said it was "in the interests" of the US to maintain contact with the Kremlin. The announcement comes as Ukraine warned that Russia is preparing new attacks on the country's infrastructure, particularly energy. *) Ethiopia, Tigray rebels set up hotline The Ethiopian government and Tigrayan forces have established a telephone hotline to maintain last week's ceasefire. Both sides on Monday met in Kenya for a new round of talks mediated by the African Union. The truce marks a diplomatic breakthrough. raising hopes for humanitarian aid to the Tigray region. The war has killed thousands, displaced millions, and has left thousands more facing famine. *) Garcia beats Sabalenka in straight sets Caroline Garcia took a tight first set and went on to a 7-6(4), 6-4 victory over Aryna Sabalenka to win the championship of the WTA Finals. The sixth-ranked Garcia became the second Frenchwoman on Monday night to win the season-ending event after Amelie Mauresmo in 2005. Garcia matched Sabalenka's power from the start in her fourth victory of the season.

The first days of Elon Musk's Twitter have been full of controversy. The Tesla co-founder fired the company's board of directors and is planning to lay off about half the existing workforce in an attempt to cut costs. The Supreme Court heard oral arguments this week, including those in a case involving the future of affirmative action at U.S. universities.Meanwhile in Africa, the Ethiopian government and Tigrayan forces have agreed to end a two-year conflict at peace talks in South Africa this week. The war has claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands since it began two years ago. Far-right Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro lost the presidential election this week to former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Bolsonaro has signaled he will hand over the country's reins without issue. We cover all this and more during this week's News Roundup.Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Find us on Twitter @1A.

Thursday on the NewsHour, Democrats and Republicans make their final pitch to voters as Americans prepare to cast their ballots in the midterms. The Ethiopian government and Tigrayan rebels agree to a truce after two years of civil war but widespread poverty and devastation remain. Plus, we look at the history of daylight saving and its effect on our health. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Ethiopia's civil war is the deadliest conflict in the world. As many as half a million people have died in the conflict between the federal government and the northern province of Tigray, whose leaders used to run the country. The two sides signed a truce Wednesday but there are still enormous challenges. Former Ethiopian official Filsan Ahmed joined Nick Schifrin to discuss. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

On the eve of the second anniversary of the outbreak of Ethiopia's civil war, we take a close look at the genesis of the conflict between the central federal government and Tigrayan rebels, and assess the prospects for lasting peace after both sides agree a deal to end the fighting.

Ethiopia's civil war is the deadliest conflict in the world. As many as half a million people have died in the conflict between the federal government and the northern province of Tigray, whose leaders used to run the country. The two sides signed a truce Wednesday but there are still enormous challenges. Former Ethiopian official Filsan Ahmed joined Nick Schifrin to discuss. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

After two years of civil war - and eight days of AU-mediated talks in South Africa - the Ethiopian federal government and Tigrayan authorities have signed a cessation of hostilities agreement. But what's in the deal, and will this be the end of the war, which also - notoriously - includes Eritrea? Also in the programme: the world's largest tropical peatlands in the Congo Basin may be approaching a tipping point where they flip from being a major carbon store to a major carbon emitter; and how could the new far right element in Benjamin Netanyahu's expected next coalition affect Israel's policies at home - and the country's standing abroad? (Photo: Ethiopian government representative Redwan Hussien and Tigraany delegate Getachew Reda pass documents during the signing of the AU-led negotiations to resolve the conflict in northern Ethiopia, in Pretoria , South Africa, November 2, 2022 / Credit: REUTERS / Siphiwe Sibeko)

The battle on Ukraine's eastern frontline, in Donbas, has turned into a protracted artillery war, which Ukraine has described as the biggest on European soil since World War Two. And as battlefields surrender to the frost of Winter, the conditions for soldiers are becoming more perilous. Jeremy Bowen recently embedded with a Ukrainian artillery unit on the front line where, despite months of relentless fighting, soldiers are maintaining their resolve. The conflict in Ethiopia's northern Tigray region has left a population facing one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. And although formal peace talks are currently underway in South Africa, between the Ethiopian government and Tigrayan forces, fighting is still on-going. Catherine Byaruhanga has been speaking to health workers dealing with the fallout of this conflict, who fear, without basic supplies, the situation will only get worse. The southern state of Georgia looks set to be a crucial battleground for Democrats and Republicans in the forthcoming mid-term elections in the United States. The outcome of the Senate race in Georgia is likely to determine which party has control of the upper chamber of Congress. Kayla Epstein has been following the campaign of the high-profile Republican candidate, Herschel Walker. Bullfighting is a centuries old tradition most often associated with Spain and one which arouses passion amongst both its supporters and its detractors. But the traditional arena bull fight is not, in fact, the most common bull-related activity in the country. There are numerous smaller festivals involving bulls which have recently come under the spotlight, after nine people died earlier this year after taking part in bull runs in Northern Valencia. Victor Lloret travelled to Lucena del Cid to find out what happens to the bulls during these local festivities. French overseas territories don't run their own domestic affairs like their British equivalents, but elect representatives to the French parliament and vote for a presidential candidate. This year, the far right leader Marine Le Pen scored her best presidential first round result in Mayotte, a tiny island in the Indian Ocean. Tim Fenton is just back from the island, where he found the politics was almost as striking as its beauty. Presenter: Kate Adie Producers: Serena Tarling and Ellie House Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith Production Coordinator: Iona Hammond

*) Russia and Ukraine gird for 'heaviest of battles' in Kherson A senior Ukrainian official predicted "the heaviest of battles" to come for the partially Russian-occupied strategic southern province of Kherson. The adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said Russians are replenishing and strengthening their grouping in Kherson. He said this means that nobody is preparing to withdraw their forces. On the contrary, the heaviest of battles is going to take place for Kherson, he added. *) Powerful earthquake injures dozens in northern Philippines A strong earthquake has rocked a large swathe of the northern Philippines, injuring at least 26 people. Officials said the 6.4 magnitude quake also forced the closure of an international airport and the evacuation of patients in a hospital. The US Tsunami Warning System said no warning or advisory was issued. *) Pakistan's Khan announces 'long march' on Islamabad to press for snap polls Former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan has announced that he would begin a protest march from the eastern city of Lahore to the capital Islamabad on Friday to call for early elections. Smaller protests by Khan's supporters took place last week after Pakistan's election body found Khan guilty of unlawfully selling gifts from foreign dignitaries, removing him from his parliamentary seat. Since being removed from office by a no-confidence vote in the legislature in April, Khan has held protests across the country calling for snap elections *) Ethiopia, Tigray rebels begin long-awaited peace talks in South Africa Peace talks between an Ethiopian government delegation and Tigrayan rebel forces have started in South Africa to end the two-year-old conflict in Ethiopia's Tigray region. Spokesperson for South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, told reporters that the talks, which began in Pretoria, have been convened to find a peaceful and sustainable solution to the devastating conflict. The talks started on Tuesday and will end on Sunday. And finally… *) 'World's dirtiest man' dies in Iran aged 94 An Iranian man nicknamed the "dirtiest man in the world" for not taking a shower for decades has died at the age of 94. According to the state media, Amou Haji, who did not wash for more than half a century and was single, died in the village of Dejgah in the southern province of Fars. Haji had avoided showering over fears of "getting sick", the agency quoted a local official as saying.

Former UK Treasury Chief Rishi Sunak is set to become Britain's new prime minister, after being chosen on Monday to lead the governing Conservative Party. He will try to shore up a reeling economy that's sliding toward recession. And, top Ukrainian officials today rejected Russian allegations that Kyiv is preparing to use a so-called “dirty bomb,” a conventional explosive laced with radioactive material, on its own territory. Also, delegations from the Ethiopian government and Tigrayan forces are set to meet in South Africa for peace talks. Plus, the co-founder of the Red Bull energy drink dies. The drink was first made popular in Thailand as a stimulant for sleepy truck drivers.

The one hundred and sixty-fourth episode of the DSR Daily Brief.   Stories Cited in the Episode Ukraine war latest: Russia intensifies attacks on Ukraine's energy facilities Iranian climber who competed without a hijab met by jubilant crowds in Tehran North shows pique with South's drill by firing artillery Federal forces capture key Tigrayan towns in Ethiopia Ex-UK pilots lured to help Chinese military, MoD says Explosions at Myanmar main prison kill 8: Media Small town in southern Mexico hosts thousands of migrants Are you a mosquito magnet? It could be your smell Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Diplomats warn that government forces could soon over-run towns and kill many civilians. Also; sources inside Iran's Evin prison say live rounds and teargas were deployed during the riot and fire there on Saturday night, and, could Mariachi music mitigate the progression of Alzheimer's?

Last March, there seemed to be a glimmer of hope that the brutal civil war between the Ethiopian federal government and the breakaway Tigray People's Liberation Front would come to an end. The government announced a ceasefire and an African Union lead peace process was underway. The conflict began two years earlier, in November 2020 with clashes between Tigrayan regional forces and federal government troops. It quickly escalated. This included the intervention of Eritrean troops to support the Ethiopian government.  Over the ensuing months, the conflict caused the worst humanitarian crisis in the world. There's been severe food shortages, a humanitarian blockade, a telecoms blackout and massive displacement.  Thus, that moment in March when a ceasefire was declared -- was extremely welcome. But just four months later, the ceasefire was shattered and now the conflict is entering a new and dangerous phase as Eritrea is re-entering the conflict in a very big way. In this episode, we are joined by Zecherias Zelalem, a freelance journalist who covers Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa to discuss how we got to this point. We begin our conversation by discussing the circumstances that lead to this ceasefire and its dissolution before talking about the current trajectory of the Ethiopia-Tigray conflict.

The Horn of Africa is in a tumultuous period. Armed conflict has returned to Ethiopia's Tigray region after a humanitarian truce between the federal government and Tigrayan leaders collapsed in August. A political impasse between the military leadership and the civilian pro-democracy movement in Sudan has paralysed the country's political transition. Meanwhile, the younger generation in the region has become increasingly frustrated with their political leadership and lack of democratic participation. Facing a myriad crises, regional and external actors, including the African Union, European Union and United States, have struggled to facilitate sustainable political progress and stability in the region.In this episode of The Horn, Alan hosts a roundtable discussion with expert guests Aleu Garang, head of the mediation support unit at the International Authority on Development, Kholood Khair, an independent analyst, and Simon Mulongo, former MP in Uganda and former deputy head of the AU mission to Somalia, about conflicts, crises and the evolving political landscape in the Horn of Africa. They speak about the recent return to armed conflict in northern Ethiopia and how that might affect regional politics. They also assess the prospect of regional and outside actors promoting stability for countries in the Horn. They address the youth's striving to be integrated into regional politics and how that might affect political change over time. Finally, they talk about finding pathways out of the conflicts and crises in the region.This episode of The Horn is produced in partnership with the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung.For more in-depth analysis on the Horn of Africa check out our Horn of Africa regional page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we're bringing you a bonus episode on Ethiopia from Crisis Group's Global Podcast Hold Your Fire!.Just a few months back, a humanitarian truce in Ethiopia offered a glimmer of hope that an end might be in sight to the war in and around the country's northern Tigray region. Fighting pitted the federal government, forces from the Amhara region, bordering Tigray, and Eritrean troops on one hand, against Tigrayan forces on the other. In March, the federal government and Tigrayan leaders announced a cessation of hostilities. Formal peace talks were supposed to follow. But the last few weeks have seen the truce collapse and conflict resume across several front lines, with Tigrayan leaders accusing Eritrean forces of advancing en masse. The return to the battlefield marks another nasty turn in a war that has had a catastrophic human toll – a UN report this week points to war crimes by all sides – but garners relatively little international attention. This week on Hold Your Fire! Richard Atwood catches up with Crisis Group's Senior Analyst for Ethiopia William Davison to make sense of what's happening. They discuss why the truce failed to hold over the summer, and notably why Tigrayan leaders chafe at the federal government's refusal to restore basic services – electricity, telecommunications and banking – in Tigray. They talk about the war's human toll and this past week's UN human rights experts' report. They examine the thorny challenges to peace talks, especially the disputed territory of Western Tigray, part of the region since the 1990s but captured by Amhara forces in the war's early days. They talk about Eritrea's role and whether the Eritrean president Isaias Afwerki would accept any deal that left the Tigrayan leadership in place. They also talk about both sides' apparent goals – for the Ethiopian government and allied forces, subduing the Tigrayan leadership; for Tigrayan forces, breaking the siege – and why neither is likely to prevail militarily any time soon. Finally, they discuss the prospects for bringing the parties back to the table, and what foreign diplomats involved can do.For more on the situation in Tigray, check out Crisis Group's recent statement: Avoiding the Abyss as War Resumes in Northern Ethiopia. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Just a few months back, a humanitarian truce in Ethiopia offered a glimmer of hope that an end might be in sight to the war in and around the country's northern Tigray region. Fighting pitted the federal government, forces from the Amhara region, bordering Tigray, and Eritrean troops on one hand, against Tigrayan forces on the other. In March, the federal government and Tigrayan leaders announced a cessation of hostilities. Formal peace talks were supposed to follow. But the last few weeks have seen the truce collapse and conflict resume across several front lines, with Tigrayan leaders accusing Eritrean forces of advancing en masse. The return to the battlefield marks another nasty turn in a war that has had a catastrophic human toll – a UN report this week points to war crimes by all sides – but garners relatively little international attention. This week on Hold Your Fire! Richard Atwood catches up with Crisis Group's Senior Analyst for Ethiopia William Davison to make sense of what's happening. They discuss why the truce failed to hold over the summer, and notably why Tigrayan leaders chafe at the federal government's refusal to restore basic services – electricity, telecommunications and banking – in Tigray. They talk about the war's human toll and this past week's UN human rights experts' report. They examine the thorny challenges to peace talks, especially the disputed territory of Western Tigray, part of the region since the 1990s but captured by Amhara forces in the war's early days. They talk about Eritrea's role and whether the Eritrean president Isaias Afwerki would accept any deal that left the Tigrayan leadership in place. They also talk about both sides' apparent goals – for the Ethiopian government and allied forces, subduing the Tigrayan leadership; for Tigrayan forces, breaking the siege – and why neither is likely to prevail militarily any time soon. Finally, they discuss the prospects for bringing the parties back to the table, and what foreign diplomats involved can do.For more on the situation in Tigray, check out Crisis Group's recent statement: Avoiding the Abyss as War Resumes in Northern Ethiopia. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Sudan floods force the government to push back the reopening of schools by two weeks. Also, the war goes on in the north of Ethiopia - currently, Tigrayan forces say they have ceded control of a couple of towns Plus, the African mourners - in London - paying their last respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II. Those and other stories in this podcast with Hassan Arouni.

Tigrayan forces in Ethiopia say they are ready for a ceasefire after a five month truce broke down. They also pledged willingness to participate in African Union-led talks. Will the Government in Addis respond in kind? Also, Uganda pays the DRC $65 million dollars in reparations for the invasion by UPDF forces and looting of resources  during the war in the 1990s. Could the ICJ ruling set a precedent? Plus, how some African nations are reacting to the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Her body now lays at rest in Edinburgh. What could King Charles III's accession mean for Africa and the commonwealth? Those and other stories in this podcast with Bola Mosuro.

Medical staff in northern Ethiopia say air strikes on the capital of the Tigray region have killed four people. The chief clinical director at Mekelle's main hospital (Kibrom Gebreslassie) said two of the victims were children who'd been in a playground. Tigrayan rebels have accused government forces of carrying out the attacks. Addis Ababa hasn't responded to the accusation but has warned people in the area to stay from facilities used by rebels. We will hear from a doctor who treated the wounded Also in the programme: Why the Iran nuclear deal has more supporters in Israel than you might imagine; and the US Department of Justice has released court papers - known as an affidavit - that convinced a judge to authorise a search of Donald Trump's estate in Mar-a-Lago, Florida. (Photo: Air strike hits Mekelle, Tigray region. Credit: Reuters)

As satellite images suggest Russia's burning off large amounts of gas normally destined for the EU, we'll hear from a European energy minister. So what can governments do as they are caught between squeezed national budgets and millions who can't pay their bills? Also in the programme: Fighting between Ethiopian government forces and Tigrayan rebels appears to have intensified, with reports of air strikes hitting the city of Mekelle; and the world's most powerful telescope gives new insights into planets beyond our solar system. (Photo shows a colourised version of a satellite image capturing infrared radiation from the burning of gas at the Portovaya plant. Credit: European Union, Copernicus Sentinel-2/Reuters)

Five years ago today, soldiers carrying rifles and machetes began driving ethnic Rohingya from their homes in Myanmar in a wave of violence. Some called it a “textbook example of ethnic cleansing.” Nearly 1 million Rohingya people remain stateless. And in the German state of Lower Saxony, hydrogen-fueled trains are being introduced to reduce emissions and tackle the harmful effects of climate change. Also, Ethiopian and Tigrayan authorities are pointing fingers over who started a recent "large-scale" offensive near the Tigray region. It's a serious setback for peace talks in Ethiopia, where conflict has persisted for nearly two years. Plus, meet Kenya's fastest-rising tennis star, 18-year-old Angella Okutoyi.

We'll be in Ethiopia where the blame game over the latest outbreak of fighting continues. We'll hear from Tigrayan spokesperson Getachew Reda. Also, latest figures show that Angola's ruling MPLA is in the lead following elections. It's by no means conclusive - but there is surprise at the speed with which the count is going. Plus, French President Macron is in Algeria following controversial remarks about the country's past. Will Algerians let bygones be bygones? And Ugandan artists demand a fair share of profits made from ringtones - or Call Ring Back Tunes  - using their music.

Government and Tigrayan officials are blaming each other for renewed fighting in the north of Ethiopia. Also, thousands of South African workers are on strike over the rising cost of living. Plus, Togo's ambitions to become the continental hub for cyber security and digital innovation. All those stories and more in this podcast.

Following attacks on UN peacekeeping bases this week in the DRC, the governor of  North Kivu province, attempts to address the issue. And, Ethiopia's government calls for talks without any pre-conditions with the Tigrayan rebels in a bid to end the bloody civil war. Those stories and more in this podcast.

On June 19th, reports began to emerge of a mass atrocity in the Ethiopian region of Oromia committed against members of the Amhara ethnic group. This latest attack fits into a broader pattern of ethnic violence in Ethiopia since the outbreak of civil war in November 2020. Laetitia Bader is the Horn of Africa Director at Human Rights Watch. She contributed to a joint Human Rights Watch-Amnesty International report titled "We Will Erase You from This Land:  Crimes Against Humanity and Ethnic Cleansing in Ethiopia's Western Tigray Zone."  The report finds evidence of an organized campaign of ethnic cleansing against Tigrayan people, which is occurring in the context of Ethiopia's ongoing civil war. 

The Australian Labor Party led by Anthony Albanese hopes to win an overall majority in Parliament following Saturday's election. And there's a whole new, colourful group of independent MPs called The Teals. But will they change Australia's politics? Also in the programme: Ukraine says it will not agree a ceasefire with Russia that involves ceding territory to Moscow; we hear from a senior Ukrainian MP; and the Tigrayan regional authorities in Ethiopia say they've released over 4,000 prisoners of war, but Addis Ababa says they haven't. (Image: Australian Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese (CL) is joined onstage by Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong (L), his partner Jodie Haydon (CR) and son Nathan Albanese (R) after winning the 2022 Federal Election, at the Federal Labor Reception at Canterbury-Hurlstone Park RSL Club in Sydney, Australia, 21 May 2022 / Credit: EPA / Bianca de Marchi)

The Kenya Forest Service has attributed a wildfire that has destroyed thousands of acres of forest moorland at Mount Kenya, to extreme weather conditions in the region. Tigrayan rebel forces have agreed to an offer of a truce to allow aid delivery through, but an official from the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) tells us promises by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government must be upheld. Plus, after a South Africa court ruled in favour of the indigenous Khoi and San peoples in Cape Town and put a temporary stop to the construction of Amazon's Africa headquarters, a spokesperson for the communities explains why the land is so important. And we drop in on the Resident Presidents. This week, Olushambles is having a problem with ants.