Fighting spreads from Tigray into northern Ethiopia as peace deal unravels

Fighting between Ethiopia’s federal military and forces from the northern Tigray region has intensified and spread into neighbouring Afar and Amhara, raising fears of a renewed civil war nearly four years after a peace agreement ended the previous conflict.

Tigrayan forces seized three airports controlled by federal police and launched operations beyond Tigray, according to multiple reports. Ethiopian Airlines suspended flights to the region, while flights to Lalibela were also halted because of nearby fighting. Heavy artillery was reported around Yallo in Afar, with clashes also reported near Abala and the Amhara town of Weldiya.

The Tigray People’s Liberation Front said it was waging a defensive war after a federal offensive involving troops, mechanised units and drones. Ethiopia’s government and military accused Tigrayan forces of attacking first and violating the 2022 Pretoria Agreement. The army said it had repelled attacks and killed, wounded or captured more than 500 opposing fighters; that claim was not independently verified.

The escalation followed the formation of the Ethiopian Peoples’ Forces Alliance for Survival, bringing the TPLF together with six other armed groups in an effort to remove Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government.

Phone and internet services were disrupted across Tigray on Friday, prompting concern about another blackout and blockade like those imposed during the 2020-2022 war. Residents reported panic-buying, cash withdrawals and shortages of food and medicine. The earlier war killed an estimated 600,000 people. The UK condemned this week’s attacks by Tigrayan forces.