Tigary: The Panarchy of War

Book excerpt: The Tigray War (2020–2022) left a deep and lasting impact not only on Tigray, but also on the wider Horn of Africa. In this second book in a three-part series, the authors examine the devastation wrought by the war on Tigray’s cultural heritage and identity. The deliberate destruction of ancient cultural sites and the assault on the Tigrayan people’s identity have fueled a desire for greater autonomy among the people of Tigray to protect their future. Through the lens of Panarchy, this book explores how the war’s effects extend far beyond Tigray, reshaping the dynamics of the entire region. Crucially, it uncovers Eritrea’s secret role in the conflict, which was deliberately concealed by Ethiopia. Eritrean forces were implicated not only in atrocities, but also in the use of particularly cruel and inhumane sexual violence, intended to break the spirit of the Tigrayan people and erase Tigray as an ethnic and cultural group. This ethnographic research, conducted in collaboration with universities inside and outside Ethiopia, reveals the profound transformations caused by the war, with consequences that will reverberate for years to come. It sheds light on the war’s long- term impact and highlights the urgent need for international attention on the challenges faced by Tigray and the wider region.