Abstract:
The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of social media activism in managing the Conflict between Tigray Regional State and the Federal Government of Ethiopia (November, 2020 to November, 2022). The study employed a qualitative research methodology with a case study research design. The study was guided by the interpretivism world views. The data was collected using textual content analysis, KII and systematic online observation. Accordingly, 14 Facebook pages (47 posts) and 10 Twitter pages (31 posts) of the prominent activists were systematically identified for the textual content analysis. In addition, 10 individuals participated in the key informant interviews. Online observation was systematically used to supplement the study. The data was analyzed thematically using narration technique. The data collected through the different sources was triangulated to complement each other. The findings of the study gave crucial insight that partisan social media activists fuelled the Ethio-Tigray conflict using the past oppressed–oppressor narratives. The domestic and Diaspora activists in their ethnic mask were narrating the conflict from divisive ethnic politics point of view. The activists framed the conflict based on the contentious historical, political, ethnic, economic, and territorial discourses. The findings revealed that social media language use amongst the activists was largely competitive accompanied by hate speech, cyber bullying, defamation, chauvinism, meisms to offend and divide the conflicting parties. The dominant contents of the social media texts were polarized ethnic politics. Most activists were conflict entrepreneurs to achieve exclusive economic and political interests. Few activists were using social media as a tool to promote collaborative approaches (win-win) of conflict management. The study indicated that most international paid activists were playing the role of informational proxy war to advance the interests of the western powers in the Horn of Africa. Social media activism during the Ethio-Tigray conflict disregarded the deep-rooted indigenous conflict management strategies. The activists overlooked the notion of media ethics, digital responsibility and digital harm minimization. Therefore, social media activism needs to exist within a legal, regulatory and normative environment, including, customs, international humanitarian law, and international human rights law.
