Ethiopia’s army promises restraint amid fears of new civil war

What the report says

Ethiopia’s federal army said it is responding with restraint as fighting intensifies in the country’s north and alarm grows over the risk of a wider conflict. According to Al Jazeera’s reporting, Army Chief of Staff Field Marshal Berhanu Jula said the military was answering what he described as provocations from Tigrayan forces with “wisdom and restraint,” while also accusing Eritrea of funding and supporting armed groups aimed at weakening Ethiopia. Eritrea denied the allegation.

The report says violence has spread beyond Tigray into Afar and Amhara after seven armed groups announced an alliance called the Ethiopian Peoples’ Forces Alliance for Survival, which says it wants to remove Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government. Fighting has been reported around Abala in Afar and in several areas of Amhara, including North Wollo, where the army said it killed hundreds of Tigrayan fighters in a counter-offensive. The Tigray side described the government’s operation as a major assault involving infantry, armored units and drones.

The renewed clashes are putting the 2022 Pretoria Agreement, which ended Tigray’s two-year war, under severe strain. The article notes that internet access was reportedly cut across northern Ethiopia and that the UN had already voiced concern over alleged drone strikes on civilians. Analysts quoted by Al Jazeera said the breakdown of the peace deal reflects unresolved political disputes and implementation failures, adding to fears that the conflict could draw in more actors and destabilize the wider region.