Let's start with the big picture. Ethiopia is about the size of France and Spain combined.
It has the second biggest population in Africa, with lots of different ethnic groups. There's
a federal government based in Addis Ababa, led by prime minister Abiy Ahmed. And there are 11
regions. They're mostly divided according to different ethnic groups,
and each region has its own government. Tigray way up north is where most of the fighting has
been happening over the past year. It's led by the Tigray People's Liberation Front - the TPLF.
Now all this started because of a power struggle between the TPLF and the Federal
government. But it's gone way beyond that now.
What you have to understand is the TPLF used to run things.
They dominated Ethiopia's national politics for nearly 30 years as the main party in
a coalition government, although Tigrayans only make up six percent of the population.
It was a time of huge economic growth, but the TPLF were also accused of being autocratic and corrupt.
In 2018, huge protests brought them down and swept Abiy Ahmed into power. And right after
he was elected, he made some big changes. He freed thousands of political prisoners who'd
been thrown in jail by the previous government, and surprised everyone with a peace deal with Eritrea.
That's what he got his Nobel Peace Prize for. He also tried to centralize the government more.
He created a new national party that brought together the main ethnic political groups,
but the TPLF refused to take part. And they were suspicious of Abiy's big plans to open up politics
and the economy. There was a sense he was trying to boost the power of the government in Addis Ababa
at the expense of the regions.
So you had all this political jocking. And then in 2020, there
were supposed to be federal and regional elections. But the government delayed them, saying it was
because of Covid. That didn't go down well with the TPLF.
And that's when the fighting started.
Forces loyal to the TPLF attacked a government military base in Tigray, then Abiy sent in troops.
At first government forces had the upper hand. They quickly took control of Tigray's capital Mekelle
and Abiy declared victory. But it wasn't over. The TPLF forces kept fighting back, and you also had
Eritrean troops joining in. They came over the border in the north to fight on the federal
government's side. But by the end of June and despite Eritrean involvement, there was a complete
reversal. The TPLF were back in control of Mekelle and most of Tigray, and they didn't stop there. They
pushed into the neighboring regions of Amhara and Afar. Then there was another big development.
This time in the Oromia region, where there's an armed group called the Oromo Liberation Army
- the OLA. They have their own issues with Abiy. They decided to ally themselves with the TPLF,
which means now you've got a kind of opposition alliance that wants to defeat Abiy. Several groups
from other regions say they've joined too. The OLA are fighting from the south, and the Tigrayans from
the north. And they both say they're determined to push towards the capital. Now when the TPLF
forces took control of two strategic towns in late October, that threat suddenly looked pretty
serious. But by early December, the government said its forces had recaptured those towns.
So the military balance seems to be shifting again.
So that's how the fighting has played out so far. But what about the
civilians? Well it's been devastating and brutal. All sides involved have been accused of atrocities.
More than two million people have been forced to leave their homes to escape the fighting. There
are estimates that hundreds are dying every day in Tigray because there isn't enough food. And the UN
says millions are at risk of starvation.
Only a trickle of food has been getting through - nowhere near what's needed.
Both the government and TPLF forces are accused of restricting aid deliveries into areas they control.
There have also been reports of horrific massacres. Like in Axum, a town in Tigray
where Eritrean forces killed hundreds of people according to Amnesty International.
And in Mai Kadra another town in Tigray where up to 600 civilians were reportedly killed.
Witnesses later said that forces linked to the TPLF were responsible.
To end the fighting, what Ethiopia
really needs is some kind of negotiated settlement. But right now, there's no sign that anyone is
willing to come to the table. Let alone make any concessions. If you found that useful, we have loads
more explainers on the Start Here playlist on Al Jazeera's youtube channel. Check it out.