Understanding Ethiopia's Tigray War

by Martin Plaut, Sarah Vaughan

The ongoing war and consequent famine in the Ethiopian province of Tigray are increasingly critical. International journalists are not being allowed to travel to the region, which is almost completely sealed off from the outside world. This is a deliberate strategy by the Ethiopian and Eritrean governments prosecuting the their aim is to crush the Tigrayans at almost any cost. This differentiates the current crisis from the famine of 1984-5, when 400,000 died of starvation primarily as the result of a prolonged drought, exacerbated by war and government inaction. Today's famine is a direct result of supplies to the region being cut off. Hatred of Tigrayans has been stoked by senior advisers to Ethiopia's Prime Minister, Abiy they have called Tigrayans "weeds" who must be uprooted, their place in history extinguished. This language is reminiscent of the statements that preceded the genocide in Rwanda. The present situation has been orchestrated since 2018 by Eritrea's
President Isaias Afwerki, who wields considerable influence over Ethiopian affairs. His troops are deep inside Ethiopia, his security agents in its towns and cities. For both the Eritrean President and the Ethiopian Prime Minister, this appears to be a fight to the finish.

Genres: Africa, Ethiopia, Nonfiction, History

392 pages, Paperback

Published May 15, 2023

Reviews

[Laura]

As the war drags on, all that can be said with certainty is that the suffering has been appalling and the human and material costs have been immense. Rebuilding the physical infrastructure will be a huge task, requiring international assistance. Healing the social and psychological damage may take even longer.


This book took me a month to read and countless sleepless hours. I feel incapable of commenting or rating it in a way that is objective. It's impossible. However, we must read about this conflict which has claimed north of 500,000 lives, which has seen rape as a weapon of war, destroyed hundreds of thousands of livelihoods not just now but for a generation to come. For anyone who loves this country and its people, whatever their label, this work is absolutely soul destroying. However, it does explain in depth the historical context leading to the war and the complex interplay of factors behind it. Note that many a statements have yet to be verified as the writers are at pains to repeat.

[Stephen Vines · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fascinating book about one of Africa's least reported on wars with massive consequences for the whole continent.
The authors have used original sources to tell this story with real depth. The result is compelling

[Emily Gifford · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well-researched and extremely relevant piece. Plaut’s insights on Eritrea’s role were insightful and the authors’ joint efforts created a compilation that brings even the uninformed reader up to speed with events as of its publication in 2022.

[Dan Connell · Rating 5 out of 5]

To begin to understand the Tigray War, one needs to be grounded in the history and the serpentine politics of the region, not just to explain its origins but to grasp what precisely happened, who did what to whom and why—what the fighting was about after all the gruesome details are laid out, what were the deep-seated grudges being avenged, what were the objectives of each party, and whatever happened to an international community that never got off the sidelines?

There is no better place to start than Martin Plaut and Sarah Vaughan’s rigorously researched and documented, one-volume guidebook—an impressive achievement they have put out even before the powder is dry. And just in time to give readers the tools to navigate the players, events, issues and aims, hidden and overt, that will be necessary for anyone hoping to contribute to a sustainable peace.

Yes, it’s complicated, but there are no shortcuts.

[K. Smits · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a highly relevant, comprehensive overview of the war in Tigray. It describes not only the war in Tigray and the impact of it in detail, but also what led up to it - an incredibly important narrative, which has been referenced in detail. Plaut & Vaughan's in-depth knowledge makes for an in-depth read that is a must for any historian or researcher, particularly with an interest in the Horn of Africa. I particularly like that within the rich information, the authors have embedded the stories of people impacted by the war, which shows the human perspective of this devastating war.

[Kat Conrad · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the addition of the personal narratives in this, I felt like it tied a really theory and history heavy book into something relatable, emotion evoking, and more understandable.