I’m not incredibly well versed in Ethiopian politics or history, so please forgive me if I sound ignorant.

I am very sceptical of the way the Ethiopian government has handled the situation, partly based on reporting from western media outlets. I have heard that the government has shown reluctance to engage in negotiations or peace talks, even when other countries have stepped in to say that they are prepared to mediate them. To me that can only mean they aren’t interested in ending the conflict by peaceful means, and that the safety of people who live in Tigray isn’t a priority for them. I wouldn’t want artillery shells being fired in the direction of my home city over a dispute that could have been settled in other ways.

I have also heard it reported that they have cut off electricity, phone lines and mobile communication for parts of Tigray as they made their offensive. Again, that doesn’t scream that they’re an innocent party. It could be that they don’t want atrocities being reported (if that is the case).

And last but certainly not least, I’ve also heard that they have opposed humanitarian corridors for people fleeing the war zone.

Ethiopian authorities have made some concessions to international pressure, offering to set up a humanitarian corridor to allow aid to reach the tens of thousands who have been displaced by fighting, and much larger numbers who are suffering from the disruption of supplies of food, fuel and medicine.

I’m going solely of Wikipedia with this point, but I notice in the “Ideology” section of the Prosperity Party’s Wiki page, it lists “Economic Liberalism”. As a communist, it makes me sad to see far-left and Marxist-Leninist parties morph into vehicles for capital.

Abiy himself was not aligned with the protesters (in fact he was neck deep in the TPLF controlled EPRDF as a minister of Science & Tech + deputy director of their Information Intelligence (NSA for comparisons or GCHQ). He jumped ship and got into the crowning moment of the changes in government that took place early 2018.

If you’ve got a recent history that rich with the TPLF (or a party majority controlled by the TPLF), then what sort of position are you in to label them a terrorist organisation?

I watched a documentary recently about female fighters within the TPLF who helped to overthrow the Derg regime - which committed horrific atrocities against civilains, and I have respect for those fighters in that point in history. I’m not well versed in their “decades of tyranny” as you put it, so there is a chance that I am more biased towards them than I should be, however I am open minded.