Ethiopia: Tensions Return to Tigray - Fears of a New Civil War

What the report says

Fears of renewed large-scale conflict are rising in Ethiopia after fighting resumed in the north and Tigrayan forces moved into parts of the neighboring Afar and Amhara regions, according to a report distributed by AllAfrica from Fides News Agency. The article says the latest clashes have raised concern about a wider escalation around Tigray, where the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, or TPLF, remains a central actor.

The report says fighting intensified in late September, with Tigrayan fighters taking control of Mekelle’s main airport, while federal forces responded with drone strikes and ground operations. It also says the TPLF joined a new coalition of seven armed groups, calling itself the Ethiopian People’s Forces Alliance for Survival, which says it wants to remove Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government. Ethiopian Airlines later suspended flights to Tigray, and flights to Lalibela were also halted because of nearby fighting.

The article describes a worsening humanitarian situation in Tigray, including restrictions on fuel, medical supplies and public salaries, along with fears of further disruption to electricity and communications. It also reports damage to hospitals, schools and religious buildings, and says the International Committee of the Red Cross evacuated about 160 people from the region.

The conflict is especially sensitive because Tigray was the center of Ethiopia’s 2020-2022 civil war, which ended with the Pretoria Agreement mediated by the African Union. The current violence is again testing that ceasefire and reviving concerns about civilian safety and a broader crisis in northern Ethiopia.