Fighting is back in Ethiopia’s Tigray region nearly four years after the 2022 accord; federal and Tigrayan forces say the other restarted hostilities. The Tigray People’s Liberation Front joined six opposition groups aiming to oust Abiy Ahmed’s government.
The alliance includes the Amhara Fano National Movement and Oromo Liberation Army; Tigrayan and Amhara forces fought on opposing sides in the previous war, and joint operations remain uncertain. Ethiopian Airlines suspended flights after Tigrayan forces seized Mekelle airport; residents reported roads to Afar were closed, which AP could not independently verify. NetBlocks reported internet disruptions across northern Ethiopia. The 2022 Pretoria accord ended major fighting but left disputes over territory, security and accountability unresolved. A TPLF spokesman said it was no longer valid; a Crisis Group analyst called it “on life support.”
International Crisis Group analyst Magnus Taylor warned the fighting could spread across Ethiopia and draw in Eritrea, whose troops backed federal forces in the previous war. Ethiopia accuses Eritrea of supporting armed opponents; Eritrea says Abiy’s government is preparing for war as Ethiopia presses for greater Red Sea access. Ghent University researchers estimated the earlier war caused about 500,000 civilian deaths in Tigray alone, most attributed to famine and the collapse of health services. Human Rights Watch regional director Laetitia Bader warned transport and communications restrictions could quickly disrupt food and medicine supplies.
