Post-Conflict Life in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia

It was on a quiet night on November 4th, 2020 when we heard the first gunshots marking the start of the devastating civil war in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia. I am a resident of Mekelle City, the capital of Tigray state. Even though we knew disagreements were brewing between the Ethiopian government and Tigray local authorities, the war came as a shock to us. That day, my life and the lives of many people in the region were changed for the worst.

The BBC's Hard Talk show host Stephen Sucker has called the war, " One of the most devastating conflicts of the 21st century". The war was especially brutal for the youth, women, and girls. Many women and girls became victims of sexual assault in addition to losing their families. Most educational facilities were closed. For the duration of the conflict basic public services including electricity, telecommunication, and banking were not available to the people of Tigray. Worst, the region was put under 360 degrees of blockade by the Ethiopian and Eritrean governments.

After 2 years of fighting the two sides agreed to a ceasefire in Pretoria, South Africa in a deal brokered by the African Union and the USA. Since then the guns have gone silent. Now, we are in the post-conflict era. There is a glimpse of hope things will get to normal, to how they were before the conflict began.

It has been more than a month since banks started giving basic services to their customers. Much-needed essentials like Fuel and medicine have started to arrive in large quantities which made life easier for most of us who reside in Tigray. There is hope schools will also reopen soon.

The collective experiences faced by Tigrayan civilians were traumatic. The emotional, psychological, and physical damage related to living in a state of blockade and conflict will take a long time to heal. However, moving forward through the pain and trauma of war is possible.