The War on Tigrai: Instances of Manipulation of Language Use

This study assessed instances of manipulation of language and their roles in influencing opinions and reactions about the war on Tigrai. Data said and written about the war was collected from interviews, websites, youtube, and Facebook. A hermeneutic approach was employed interpret the nuances of framing of the conflict and the set of actors and events within the historical and social context in Tigrai and beyond. This was done by focusing on key categories like, warring parties, official statements, and subsequent reactions. The analysis shows a concerted manipulative practice of language use for political gains in favor of the Ethiopian government. The practice largely misrepresented the exclusionary and genocidal acts and put organizations that seek to make informed decisions and actions on a limbo. The conflict started following years of persistent discriminatory actions chiefly against a group, Tigraians in particular, and appeared to be a civil-war. However, the involvement of foreign forces early on and during the protracted period gave it a twist in how it should be seen, a war having an international scale and characterized by non-stop horrific human and material devastation. Thus, the war needs to be interpreted and understood, considering the roles and engagements of the different social and ecological elements prior to and during the whole crisis.