Ethiopia – Tigray Conflict

Context: The first formal African Union-led peace talks between an Ethiopian government team and Tigray forces are happening in South Africa.

Important Events of Tigray Conflict:

1975:

• The ‘Derg’, a Soviet-backed Marxist military dictatorship led by Mengistu Haile Mariam was established in Ethiopia
• The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) was formed as a small ethno-nationalist paramilitary group and a political outfit

1988: Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) was founded and ruled for nearly three decades.

1991: Derg was ousted.

2020:

• The Ethiopian government began military operations in the Tigray region against the region’s ruling party, the TPLF.
• Civilian structures in towns in Tigray, including hospitals, schools, factories, and businesses, were shelled, looted and destroyed by Ethiopian federal forces and by Eritrean armed forces.

Source:  The Hindu

Previous Year Question

Q.1) Consider the following pairs:

Region often mentioned in the news:   Country

1. Anatolia                                                 Turkey
2. Amhara                                                  Ethiopia
3. Cabo Delgado                                       Spain
4. Catalonia                                               Italy

How many pairs given above are correctly matched? (2022)

1. Only one pair
2. Only two pairs
3. Only three pairs
4. All four pairs