Ethiopia closes all secondary schools in bid to boost civil war efforts

Ethiopia has temporarily closed all secondary schools in a bid to boost civil war efforts by having pupils harvest crops for soldiers on the frontline.

Ethiopian authorities have closed all secondary schools for a week, according to the Ministry of Education. Pupils will use the time to harvest crops for soldiers on the frontline of the country’s civil war.

More than 2 million pupils had already stopped going to school due to the Ethiopian civil war, which broke out in the northern region of Tigray last year.

As the conflict intensifies, the government claims to be retaking control of the cities that had been previously taken over by rebels. On Wednesday, December 1, state authorities announced that they had retaken the city of Lalibela, a historical heritage site that contains churches protected by UNESCO.

The war has caused a brutal humanitarian crisis, with more than 300 schools destroyed in the month of October, according to a statement made on Facebook by the Ministry of Education. The post also stated that the government would dedicate all efforts towards rebuilding the schools.

The conflict greatly intensified when the Tigray rebels threatened to advance towards the capital of Addis Ababa in November. They also launched an offensive to reach the eastern border with neighbouring Djibouti, a crucial point for provisions coming into Ethiopia.

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Written by

Tamsin Brown

Originally from London, Tamsin is based in Malaga and is a local reporter for the Euro Weekly News covering Spanish and international news. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com.

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