The Hidden War

Throughline

NPR

Documentary, Society & Culture, History

4.6 • 16.4K Ratings

🗓️ 27 July 2023

⏱️ 52 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

How does a country go from its leader winning the Nobel Peace Prize to all-out war in just one year? That's the question surrounding Ethiopia, which has become embroiled in one of the deadliest wars of the 21st century. The U.S. has called it an ethnic cleansing campaign against Tigrayans, a minority group in the country; some human rights organizations have called it a genocide. But many people outside Ethiopia and its diaspora had no idea it was happening. In U.S. media, it's hardly discussed, even as violence has intensified throughout the country. In this episode, we tell the story of Ethiopia — the oldest independent country in Africa — and the political, cultural and religious factors that led to this war.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	A warning before we get started.
0:02.0	This episode contains descriptions of sexual violence and war.
0:12.4	It was a cloudy day in Oslo, Norway,
0:15.2	when the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize was announced.
0:18.6	The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize to
0:31.0	Ethiopian Prime Minister Abe Ahmed Ali.
0:36.6	Abe Ahmed had brokered a deal with Ethiopia's neighbor, Erichreya,
0:41.0	to end a decade-long violent border dispute.
0:45.0	Ethiopia is Africa's second most populous country,
0:51.0	and East Africa's largest economy.
0:55.0	Ethiopia is located on the eastern tip of Africa,
0:59.0	a region nicknamed the Horn of Africa.
1:02.0	Some call it the cradle of humankind.
1:05.0	In more recent years, however, Ethiopia has been plagued by conflict.
1:10.0	So when Abe Ahmed managed to strike this peace deal with Erichreya,
1:14.0	many believed he was ushering in a new dawn that would echo throughout Africa and around the world.
1:21.0	Prime Minister.
1:24.0	I have served this award on behalf of Ethiopians and Erichreans, especially.
1:30.0	We are going to just go ahead and create a hero that is absolutely immaculate.
1:36.0	There is almost religious fervor to what has been dubbed Abe Mania.
1:41.0	Abe Mania.
1:42.0	He has positioned himself as a beacon of peace,
	...

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