This is popular front, a podcast focused on the niche details of modern warfare and

underreported conflict with me Jake Hanrahan. Today we're speaking to journalist Sean Williams

he's one of my favorite reporters he's been out in Ethiopia on the ground

reporting on the war there now the war has advanced to a different stage there is war

seemingly on all fronts the Tigray are surrounding the capital of Ethiopia

the Roma fighters are getting involved and

even Eritrea is getting involved, it's looking like a very dangerous situation.

Sean's going to explain to us what's happening, how this has advanced and where it's looking like it's headed.

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Alright mate, so since we last spoke about the situation in Ethiopia a hell of a lot has changed the

rebels are no longer on the back foot there's other rebel groups are getting

involved countries pulling their diplomats out of the country.

Maybe just explain to us what's happened, how has this happened so quickly?

How is it that the militia forces are now really gaining traction?

Well, I mean, first off, it's probably good to note that this was pretty foreseeable

from how things were going a few months ago.

So it was kind of billed as a fight between these TDF rebels

and the government, but it was always going to be more messy than that.

All of the regions around T-Gray, I mean, they've been fighting for decades with each other and there's been loads of bad blood between them.

I mean never mind the Eritreans for a moment.

You've got Afar to the east of Tigray, you've got Amharah to the south and the west of Tigray,

...