AMANUEL SILESHI
EAST AFRICAN PHOTOGRAPHY AWARD STORY WINNER 2022
Searching For Peace Amidst Chaos
Since 2020 the north of Ethiopia has been gripped by a civil war between Tigrayan separatists and the central government of Ethiopia and its Eritrean allies. Both sides stand accused of atrocities, and both sides have suffered horrifying losses, both military and civilian. Meanwhile, the war remains largely invisible internationally because of restrictions on reporting. In these images, we see empty bullet casings and soldiers covering their noses as they navigate the scene of a massacre of civilians, and schools and churches suffering the same fate as tanks and fighters, while a civilian population finds itself trapped between two armies and used as a pawn in the conflict.