ABSTRACT Ethnic conflicts have emerged as a central concern in contemporary global politics and represent a major challenge to international peace. As part of the conflict‐prone African continent, Ethiopia continues to face this pressing issue. The ethnic conflict in Ataye Town and its surrounding areas, though previously unstudied through rigorous academic inquiry, constitutes a significant case. Since identifying the actors in a conflict and their underlying interests is essential for resolution, this study aims to identify the major actors involved in the April 2021 inter‐ethnic conflict in Ataye Town and the surrounding areas of the Oromo Special Zone in the Amhara Region. It also examines how and why these actors became involved. To achieve these objectives, the study adopted a qualitative approach, drawing on primary and secondary data analyzed thematically. Following a thorough analysis, the study finds that the April 2021 inter‐ethnic conflict involved several actors, including the TPLF, OLA/Shene, the Amhara Special Force, arms and human traffickers, local and zonal administrators, and regional governments. This study demonstrates that while primordial and constructivist factors provide context, the conflict is most convincingly explained through an instrumentalist lens, wherein ethnicity is manipulated for political and economic gain. To prevent future conflicts, the study recommends addressing the root causes and engaging in genuine reconciliation regarding past conflict incidents.
Ahmed et al. (Fri,) studied this question.