Ethiopia Peace Observatory

An initiative to enhance local data collection across Ethiopia

The Ethiopia Peace Observatory (EPO) enhances the collection of local conflict and protest data across Ethiopia. EPO data is collected through ACLED and sourced in English, Amharic, Afan Oromo, and Tigrinya. The ACLED-EPO dataset contains thousands of historical data points drawn from local, national, and international sources, with new real-time data added each week. The EPO also publishes weekly and monthly updates and analysis in English and Amharic.

አማርኛ

የኢትዮጵያ ፒስ ኦብዘርቫቶሪ (ኢፒኦ) በመላው ኢትዮጵያ የአካባቢ ግጭቶችን እና የተቃውሞ ሰልፍ መረጃዎችን አስባሰብ ያሻሽላል። የኢፒኦ መረጃ የሚሰበሰበው በአክሌድ ሲሆን መረጃውም የሚሰበሰበው በእንግሊዝኛ፣ በአማርኛ፣ በአፋን ኦሮሞ እና በትግርኛ ነው። የአክሌድ-ኢፒኦ መረጃ ቋት በሺዎች የሚቆጠሩ ከሀገር አቀፍ እና ከአለምአቀፍ ምንጮች የተውጣጡ ታሪካዊ መረጃዎችን የያዘ ሲሆን በየሳምንቱ አዳዲስ መረጃዎች ይካተቱበታል። ኢፒኦ በየሳምንቱ እና በየወሩ አዳዲስ መረጃዎችን እና ትንታኔዎችን በእንግሊዝኛ እና በአማርኛ ያትማል።

Interactive Map | Political violence in Ethiopia

The maps highlights political violence events in Ethiopia. Click on shaded conflict areas or region names for further information about conflict patterns.

Data

Download the latest conflict data for Ethiopia.

Dashboard

Access the EPO interactive dashboard.

Methodology

Learn about EPO’s data collection methodology.

Regional Profiles

Afar

As with other regions in the country, conflicts in Afar region are mostly related to nationalism, local competition for power, and intra-ethnic disputes. ACLED data demonstrate that regular conflict occurs along the border areas with Oromia and Somali regions. In an escalation of conflict in December 2020, reports of violence involving Afar and Somali regional special forces were recorded. Demonstration activity in Afar is limited to sporadic, reactionary gatherings usually related to specific local events, in contrast to sustained demonstration movements that occur in other parts of the country.

Amhara

The Amhara region bore the brunt of some of the most intense fighting periods as a theater of the northern Ethiopia conflict in 2021 and 2022. During clashes in the summer and fall of 2021, damages due to the conflict reportedly reached into the hundred million dollar range, with thousands of civilians and combatants from the region killed.

Benshangul / Gumuz

Benshangul/Gumuz region is located in western Ethiopia along the border with Sudan, and it shares internal borders with Amhara and Oromia regions. The region hosts the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. Benshangul/Gumuz was the site of intense ethnic-based killings from 2020 to 2021. The political violence dynamic in the region is complex, with competing elites divided along ethnic lines and awarded political superiority through the ethno-federalist system.

Central Ethiopia

Central Ethiopia region was established on 19 August 2023 in Welkite town, Gurage zone. It was previously part of Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples region (SNNPR). SNNPR consisted of 56 ethnic groups that were considered indigenous. Several ethnic groups in SNNPR, such as Sidama, Wolayta, Kefa, Hadiya, Gedio, and Gurage, expressed their interest in having their own regional administrations for decades. Accordingly, between 2019 and 2023, the region was split into four separate regions – Sidama region, South West Ethiopia Peoples region, Central Ethiopia region, and South Ethiopia region.

Gambela Peoples Region

Gambela is located in southwestern Ethiopia, bordered by South Sudan in the west, Oromia Region in the northeast, and South West Ethiopia Peoples region in the southeast. The region’s capital city is Gambela and is divided into four administrative zones: Agnewak-zone, Nuwer-zone, Mezhenger-zone, and Etang Special zone. Within these four zones, there are 13 woredas. The working language is Amharic, but Nuer, Anywaa, and Afaan Oromo languages are also spoken in the region.

Oromia

Oromia region has been the site of anti-government protests and insurgency for many years. Mass mobilization swept through the region between 2014 and 2018, driven by opposition to the rule of the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic government. This movement was instrumental in bringing current Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to power in April 2018. During the pre-Abiy years, the Qeerroo youth movement in Oromia was able to enforce economic strikes, hijack government-sponsored events, and disrupt government activities on a regular basis – despite lacking set organizational structures.

Sidama

Sidama region was officially established on 18 June 2020, following a referendum vote. During the referendum, an overwhelming 98.5% of voters expressed their support for breaking away from Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples region (SNNPR) to form an independent state. The demand for an independent Sidama region dates back several decades but gained renewed momentum after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed assumed power in April 2018. Many viewed the self-determination process of Sidama as a litmus test for both the newly elected prime minister and Ethiopia’s ethno-federalist system.

Somali

Somali is the second-largest region in Ethiopia after Oromia region. Somali shares borders with Afar region, Oromia region, and Dire Dawa city to the west. Djibouti lies to the region’s north, the de facto state Somaliland to the northeast, Somalia from east to south, and Kenya to the southwest. While Somali region is predominantly inhabited by the Somali ethnic group, it is ethnically heterogeneous. The Somalis in Ethiopia have social and political links with other ethnic Somalis in the neighboring countries; in Somali culture, clan links are the most important social and political unit of organization.

South Ethiopia

South Ethiopia region was established as a new region on 19 August 2023. Its administration seat is Wolayta Sodo in Wolayta zone and its council’s seat is in Arba Minch in Gamo zone. The region is comprised of six zones and five special woredas. Previously, these areas were part of Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples region (SNNPR).

South West Ethiopia Peoples Region

The South West Ethiopia Peoples region was created following a successful referendum held in September 2021 together with the sixth general election of Ethiopia. The referendum and the general elections were originally planned to be held in June 2021 but was delayed due to errors on ballot papers and security issues. Based on the outcome of the vote, Kaffa, Sheka, Bench Sheko, Dawuro, and West Omo zones, as well as Konta Special woreda, established Ethiopia’s 11th region on 23 November 2021.

South West Ethiopia_Region_Ethiopia_2024

Tigray

Tigray region is located in northern Ethiopia, bordered by Eritrea to the north, Sudan to the west, the Amhara region to the south, and the Afar region to the east and southeast. The region is primarily home to ethnic Tigrayans, Kunama, and Irob, among other ethnic groups. The majority ethnic group in the region is Tigrayans. The region is divided into six zones and one special zone. Since 1991, the region has been administered by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). From November 2020 to November 2022, the region was the site of the worst civil wars in the history of the country.