Former Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Farah Maalim has equated Ethiopia's TPLF to Nazis

Since 2020, The federal Ethiopian forces and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) have been at war. Former Deputy Speaker Farah Maalim has labelled the latter as an "African NAZI outfit with Western support."

In early November 2020, the Ethiopian government declared military offensive on the regional government of Tigray, a state bordering Eritrea in the northeast of the country.

The situation in Ethiopia has continued to escalate, with accusations of genocide, warnings of famine, and threats of sanctions.

The growing violence threatens to destabilize Ethiopia, Africa's second most populous country, and the greater Horn region should it continue unabated.

On Tuesday, November 2 the Ethiopian government announced a state of emergency after TPLF continued their insurgence closer to Addis Ababa Pulse Live Kenya

State of emergency

What began as a war between the TPLF in Tigray and the Ethiopian government has led into a state of emergency being announced on Tuesday, November 2.

This is after TPLF claimed to have taken the key cities of Dessie and Kombolcha, both of which are near a main route into the capital, Addis Ababa.

The TPLF said it was considering marching on Addis Ababa, about 380km south of its forward position.

The governments of four of the country's 10 regions have called on Ethiopians to mobilize to fight against the Tigrayan forces, state-affiliated Fana TV said.

Earlier into his term, Ethiopian PM Abiy Ahmed proudly displays his nobel prize award. Pulse Live Kenya

Where did it all begin?

The TPLF dominated national politics for nearly three decades, but lost much of its influence when Abiy took office in 2018 following years of anti-government protests.

Relations with the TPLF soured after the group accused Abiy of centralizing power at the expense of Ethiopia's regional states -- an accusation Abiy denies.

TPLF spokesperson Getachew Reda said that if the Tigrayan forces and their allies succeeded in removing the government, they would establish an interim replacement.

There would also need to be a national dialogue, Reda said, but Abiy and his ministers would not be asked to take part. "They will have their day in court," he said.

The conflict in what was once considered a stable Western ally in a volatile region has plunged around 400,000 people in Tigray into famine, left thousands of civilians dead and forced more than 2.5 million people in the north to flee their homes.

Members of Ethiopian military force stand to attention for the Ethiopian national anthem during a farewell ceremony for new recruits joining the Ethiopian military force to Tigray, organised by the Mayor in Addis Ababa on July 27, 2021. fdd0db83-1ace-4ee6-87d6-9f11cd4a0e58

Troubling times ahead

Maalim is worried that if the world continues to ignore what is transpiring in Ethiopia, history will repeat itself.

"Everybody in Europe who witnessed NAZI’s & Hitler gaining in strength over time was worried for future of humanity in their part of the world.

TPLF is an African NAZI outfit with Western support. HOA must come together & defeat fascist TPLF before they cause a massive Holocaust," Maalim tweeted.