In Tigray, a region in the north of Ethiopia, a horrific war has been going on for the past two years. Carpet bombings, rampant rape, ethnic cleansing, massive displacement, starvation, interment have been used to commit a genocide. Despite the fact that in two years close to a million people have been killed we hear little about it in the news. That is partially due to the Ethiopian government imposing a communications blackout and blockading the region since November 2020. All basic services have been shut down. Even humanitarian and medical aid have been weaponized and journalists and NGOs are barred from entering the region.
On 2 November 2022, the Ethiopian Government and the Tigray forces signed a Permanent Cessation of Hostilities. The agreement includes the protection of civilians, restoration of services, unfettered humanitarian access and withdrawal of foreign and ethnic forces. Despite some improvements in restoring some services and humanitarian access in some areas, the people of Tigray largely remain still blockaded with many getting no aid, and with foreign and ethnic forces massacring, displacing and raping them, and looting their properties.
A Tigray event was held at Splendor Amsterdam on 10 February 2023 with a discussion panel and some Splendor musicians to draw attention to and try to break the silence about the atrocities.
We have plans to do more.