Topic:
Country: Tunisia
Delegate Name: Lauren Carpenter
United Nations Security Council
Situation in Tigray
Republic of Tunisia
Lauren Carpenter
Forest Hills Eastern
Internal and geo-political conflict has been an issue in numerous African countries for decades as a result of western imperialism and military intervention. From the Rwandan Genocide in 1994 to repeated civil wars in Sudan spanning decades, the effect of the west on Africa has brought about decades of conflict as the disorganization caused by deimperialization post-World War II left Africa in a fractured state. Despite being known as the oldest independent government in Africa, having never been colonized, the effect of western democracy and policymaking in Ethiopia is tremendous, as external pressure influences and negatively impacts the government. The October 2020 fighting between the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and the Ethiopian government as a result of the 2018 Ethiopian elections has stirred up unrest in all of Ethiopia and placed many of its citizens in direct danger. With aid trucks disappearing and rumors of genocide on both sides of the issue, with no trustworthy or firsthand source of information regarding the situation, there is no valid way to discover the truth or extent of violence in Tigray as of now. Due to fighting, an influx of refugees have also fled to bordering countries, creating a refugee crisis and all-around situation of chaos in Ethiopia.
As one of the seven most powerful countries in Africa, it is paramount to Tunisia that the situation in Tigray be stopped in order to protect the stability and safety of Africa as a whole. As a result of the fighting in Tigray, thousands of refugees have fled to neighboring African countries and it falls to Tunisia and other African countries to discern how to deal with the growing crisis. Also through the consistent conflict in Ethiopia from October 2020-present the status of trade and trade flow in Africa has been damaged due, ultimately affecting all of Africa and the nearby Middle East. Despite tensions between Tunisia and Ethiopia regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), it is in the best interest of all of Africa and the world that the fighting in Tigray be ceased and peace be restored to Ethiopia.
In order to prevent further fighting and violence in Tigray and create lasting stability in Ethiopia, the United Nations should intervene and put a stop to the conflict. The UN should use its global forces and power in order to ensure that peace be obtained and maintained in Tigray and with the Ethiopian government. On a similar note, displaced Ethiopians should be relocated to neighboring countries or refugee camps should be established in order to provide lodging and safety until refugees are able to return home. The UN should seek to restore Ethiopia to its prior prosperous democratic state and strive to maintain peace in the Eastern African bloc.
