Statement by UK Specialists on Military Confrontation in Ethiopia
https://www.countryflags.com/
UK Specialists Google Doc – 16/11/2020
First published on Google document. Republished with permission.
As UK-based researchers in Ethiopian Studies and academics or practitioners in related fields, we are deeply shocked and concerned by the ongoing military confrontation between the central government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front that began on 4th November.
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Over the past two years, we have been watching the country oscillate between hopeful optimism and deadly conflict, and these latest developments represent a serious escalation of violence that threatens to drag Ethiopia into a civil war with devastating consequences for its people, its economy and regional stability.
We, therefore, call on the UK government, and the international community more widely, to devote its full attention to this conflict and use all diplomatic means to de-escalate and initiate a peace process under the auspices of the United Nations and the African Union. Given the long-standing relations between the UK and Ethiopia, we particularly urge the UK government to break its silence and use all diplomatic means at its disposal in support of an immediate end to the hostilities and finding a way to resolve the underlying conflict.
Now more than ever, Ethiopia needs the friendship of the international community to support all its citizens who strive to secure a peaceful and prosperous future for the country.
Signed:
Professor Pamela Abbott, University of Aberdeen
Professor Mario I. Aguilar, University of St. Andrews
Dr John Binns, Institute of Orthodox Christian Studies, Cambridge
Professor Deborah Bryceson, University of Edinburgh
Professor Nic Cheeseman, University of Birmingham
Dr Chekol Kidane, Independent researcher
Weiwei Chen, SOAS
Dr Kate Cowcher, University of St. Andrews
Professor Christopher Cramer, SOAS
Dr Michael Crawley, Durham University
Dr Elizabeth Daley, Independent Researcher
Catherine Dom, Independent Researcher
Professor Lindiwe Dovey, SOAS
Professor Emma Crewe, SOAS
Dr Eyob Balcha Gebremariam, London School of Economics
Dr Ezana Haddis Weldeghebrael, University of Manchester
Fanos Tsegaye, University of St. Andrews
Dr Tom Goodfellow, University of Sheffield
Professor Laura Hammond, SOAS
Dr Jörg Haustein, University of Cambridge
Dr Romina Istratii, SOAS
Beverley Jones, Independent Consultant
Dr Tom Lavers, University of Manchester
Dr Ralph Lee, SOAS and Institute of Orthodox Christian Studies, Cambridge Stephen Lister, Independent Evaluator
Dr Roy Love, Independent Researcher
Meron T Gebreananaye, University of Durham
Jason Mosley, University of Oxford
Niki Palmer, Independent Consultant
Martin Plaut, Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London Dr Angela Raven Roberts, University of Oxford
Professor Richard Reid, University of Oxford
Dr Edward Stevenson, University of Durham
Dr Michael W. Thomas, SOAS
Dr Sarah Vaughan, Independent Researcher
Dr Alex de Waal, Tufts University and London School of Economics Dr Jacob Wiebel, University of Durham
Professor James Wood, University of Cambridge
Professor Zeray Yihdego, University of Aberdeen
(Signatures as received by noon, 12 November, alphabetically sorted by primary name)
