Fighting has intensified in northern Ethiopia after forces linked to the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) seized airports in Mekelle, Axum and Shire and clashed with federal troops in neighbouring Afar and Amhara regions.
The renewed fighting has raised fears of a wider conflict and further undermined the Pretoria Peace Agreement, signed by the Ethiopian government and the TPLF in November 2022 to end the two-year Tigray war.
Ethiopian government adviser Getachew Reda said TPLF forces launched attacks on government positions in Afar and Amhara on the morning of September 23, describing the developments as a serious setback after efforts by Ethiopia and international partners to prevent a return to war.
The seizure of the airports also disrupted civilian air services, with flights to Mekelle, Axum and Shire suspended amid the security situation in Tigray.
Tigray says it is defending itself
Tigray’s regional administration said its forces had entered what it described as a defensive war against federal troops.
The statement followed reports of attacks involving drones and artillery. Tigrayan authorities accused federal forces of escalating the situation and said their fighters had been instructed to respond to what they described as an attack against the region.
The latest escalation comes days after the TPLF joined six other armed groups in forming an alliance opposed to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government. The coalition said it sought to challenge the federal government, while Addis Ababa has accused the alliance of receiving support from Eritrea. Eritrea has denied such allegations.
Fighting has been reported in areas including Abala and Erebti in Afar, while clashes have also been reported along parts of the Tigray-Amhara border.
Tigray conflict
The TPLF has played a major role in Ethiopian politics for decades. It dominated the country’s ruling coalition from 1991 until 2018, when Abiy Ahmed came to power.
Tensions between the federal government and the TPLF later escalated into a full-scale war in November 2020. The conflict ended with the signing of the Pretoria Agreement in November 2022 after mediation efforts led by the African Union.
The war caused enormous loss of life and displacement. The African Union has previously estimated that about 600,000 people died during the conflict and its humanitarian consequences.
However, key elements of the Pretoria agreement have remained unresolved, while relations between Addis Ababa and Tigray have deteriorated further in recent months.
The latest fighting comes after the TPLF’s new alliance with other armed groups and renewed military activity in northern Ethiopia. The African Union has urged both sides to exercise maximum restraint and resume direct negotiations.
The renewed hostilities have raised concerns that Ethiopia could face another prolonged conflict in the north, with the region still recovering from the destruction and humanitarian consequences of the 2020–2022 war.
KIGALI TIMES