Polls open in Ethiopia, but ongoing unrest keeps many away from voting

Ethiopians began voting in the country's general election on Monday, but ongoing conflicts and political tensions have left millions of people unable to take part in the electoral process.

The election is the seventh since the fall of country's military regime in 1991. More than 50.5 million people have registered to vote to elect members of the 547-seat parliament, which will determine the country's next Prime Minister and the government for the coming five years.

However, voting is not taking place in the entire northern region of Tigray, where around six million people live. The region is still recovering from a devastating two-year civil war that ended in 2022 and left deep political divisions between regional leaders and the federal government.

Abiy Ahmed seen as favourite

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's Prosperity Party is widely expected to retain power. Although the Prime Minister is not directly elected, the party that wins at least 274 parliamentary seats will be able to form the government.

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Abiy came to power in 2018 following mass anti-government protests and was initially praised for introducing political reforms, releasing jailed journalists and opposition figures, and improving relations with neighbouring country Eritrea. His efforts made him win the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019.

However, since then his government has been accused of restricting political freedoms and suppressing dissent. Human rights groups have raised concerns over arrests of journalists and limits on press freedom.

Security challenges overshadow poll

The election is taking place amid continuing violence in the Amhara and Oromia regions, where armed groups remain engaged in clashes with government forces.

According to a BBC report, the Fano militia in Amhara and the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) in Oromia have both challenged the federal government, though for different reasons. According to conflict monitoring group ACLED, more than 9,400 people were killed in violence across the two regions in 2024, the report said.

Despite the unrest, authorities say that 97 per cent of areas in Amhara and Oromia are ready to hold elections.

Tigray remains outside the electoral process

Political tensions remain high in Tigray despite the 2022 Pretoria peace agreement. Disputes between the federal government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) have deepened over issues including political recognition, governance and territorial control.

According to the report, the TPLF's legal status has been revoked after disagreements with the electoral board over party registration requirements. Meanwhile, unresolved disputes over territory lost during the war and concerns about relations with neighbouring Eritrea continue to fuel tensions.

Earlier this year, Ethiopia's electoral board confirmed that no voting would take place in any of Tigray's 38 constituencies, the report said.