Polls Open in Ethiopia as Conflict Displaces Millions from Voting

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — Ethiopians headed to the polls Monday for a general election unfolding under the shadow of armed conflict, political friction and the absence of entire regions from the ballot, deepening questions about how representative the vote can be in Africa’s second-most populous country.

It is Ethiopia’s seventh election since the military regime was ousted in 1991, but the contest comes at a moment of renewed unrest across parts of the country. Millions of people are unable to vote, including residents of the northern Tigray region, where polling has been canceled in all 38 constituencies.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed is broadly expected to win another term, even though he is not being chosen directly by voters. Ethiopians are selecting lawmakers for the 547-seat parliament, and the party that secures at least 274 seats will have the power to form the next government for a five-year term.

Abiy, 49, rose to power in 2018 after mass anti-government protests brought an end to the dominance of the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front, a coalition long steered by Tigrayan politicians. He later broke up that alliance and launched the Prosperity Party, pledging national unity and political reform.

At first, he was applauded for freeing political prisoners and broadening political space. He went on to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019 for helping resolve a protracted standoff with neighboring Eritrea.

But critics now say his government has grown less tolerant of opposition. Rights groups and political opponents accuse authorities of narrowing the space for dissent, detaining rivals and curbing media freedom. Ethiopia ranked 148th out of 180 countries in the 2025 Press Freedom Index released by Reporters Without Borders.

The vote is taking place as violence continues in Amhara and Oromia, where government forces remain locked in combat with armed groups. In Amhara, the Fano militias have fought a lengthy campaign, while in Oromia the Oromo Liberation Army has carried out an extended insurgency. Both conflicts have displaced hundreds of thousands of people and caused heavy civilian losses.

ACLED, the conflict-monitoring organization, said more than 9,400 people were killed in violence across the two regions in 2024.

Authorities say most districts in Amhara and Oromia are ready to proceed with elections despite the security situation. Opposition parties reject that assessment, saying insecurity has made meaningful campaigning impossible in large areas.

The stakes are especially high in Tigray, a region of about six million people that has been run by an interim administration since a 2022 peace deal ended a devastating two-year war between federal forces and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front. That conflict is believed to have killed hundreds of thousands of people and pushed parts of the region to the brink of famine.

Tensions between Addis Ababa and Tigray’s leadership have worsened in recent months amid disputes over political representation, territorial issues and the legal standing of the TPLF, which is barred from taking part in the election.

The election also comes as relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea have deteriorated, with friction rising after disagreements over Ethiopia’s bid for access to a Red Sea port.

Supporters of Abiy point to major infrastructure work in Addis Ababa and economic reforms encouraged by international lenders as signs of progress. Critics, however, say the conflicts and political restrictions now surrounding the election undermine its credibility.

The results are expected to shape Ethiopia’s next government at a time when the nation is wrestling with major security, economic and political strains.

AXADLETM