Fears of New War in Ethiopia as Clashes Erupt

Months of rising tension in Ethiopia have now turned into new fighting in the northern Tigray region. This raises fears that the country might fall back into a civil war.

On Wednesday, the Ethiopian government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), which runs Tigray, accused each other of starting attacks. This came after gunfire was reported in Tonsa, in the Afar Region, close to the Tigray border.

The fighting started when Tigray rebel forces took control of the airport. This led to the state-owned airline canceling flights to the troubled area.

The Tigray army claimed it was responding to a “full-scale offensive along multiple fronts” by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government. Ethiopian media said this followed several government drone strikes on Tigray.

But the government said that the TPLF launched an “all-out offensive” against its positions in Afar and Amhara states. Getachew Reda, an adviser to the Ethiopian minister on East African affairs, stated, “the TPLF politico-military leadership has obviously taken irresponsibility to new heights.”

These events happened just days after seven opposition groups, including the TPLF, came together to remove Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and his government. Abiy’s Prosperity Party won a general election in June that the main opposition groups did not participate in.

The coalition is called the Ethiopian Peoples’ Forces Alliance for Survival. Its members include the Amhara Fano National Movement, the Oromo Liberation Army, the TPLF, the Ogaden National Liberation Front, the Afar Revolutionary Democratic Unity Front, the Benishangul Peoples’ Liberation Movement, and the Gumuz Peoples’ Democratic Movement.

Leaders of the TPLF had fought against federal authorities in a deadly conflict in northern Ethiopia that killed over 500,000 people. This conflict ended with a peace deal signed in November 2022.

TPLF spokesperson Michael Asgedom said that their cooperation with other opposition groups is both political and military. “Joint military operations may become necessary to achieve the objective of removing the dictatorial regime,” he noted.

When asked if the TPLF’s role in the alliance broke the 2022 peace agreement, Asgedom said that the accord was “no longer valid.”

The recent attack by the new rebel alliance has raised fears that Ethiopia might go back to war. On Wednesday, the US expressed deep concern over this escalation and called for talks to stop more violence.

The US also urged its citizens to stay careful “until it is safe to leave.”