New Era, Same Leader, Uncertain Future: A Deep Dive into Abiy and the Tigray War

In this episode of the Global Review, podcast officers Han Hor and Zhi Yu Ong sit down with The Economist Africa Correspondent, Tom Gardner, to discuss the recent events and implications of the Tigray War, which occurred between 2020-2022.When Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed came to power in 2018, a new hope for peace and prosperity in the country was on the horizon. Yet, this hope was short-lived. Tigray's leaders saw the Prime Minister’s reforms as an attempt to centralise power and destroy Ethiopia's federal system. The feud came to a head in September, when Tigray defied the central government to hold its own regional election. Since November 2020, fighting and ethnopolitical tensions continue to be the status quo in Africa’s second most populous country, posing threats to the stability of the Horn of Africa.In today’s episode of The Global Review, we look forward to analysing the war through three key focus points: The cracks in Ethiopia’s governance that ultimately led to its Civil War, Prime Minister Abiy’s agenda and motivations behind the War; and the future of the nation. Today we’re exploring the roles of governance, propaganda and the injustices that arise from them; as well as in the bigger picture, the importance of digital literacy for autonomy.