Renewed Fighting in Ethiopia’s Tigray Region Sparks Fears of Prolonged Conflict
Fresh fighting in Ethiopia’s Tigray region is raising fears of a return to a prolonged conflict, with renewed clashes and allegations of foreign support deepening tensions across the Horn of Africa.
Hostilities between the Tigray People’s Liberation Front and Ethiopia’s federal forces resumed this week, reviving memories of the devastating war that lasted from 2020 to 2022.
Ethiopia’s army chief, Field Marshal Birhanu Jula, has accused Sudan and Egypt of providing support and supplies to forces fighting government troops, allegations both countries have disputed. Sudan, in turn, has accused Ethiopia of allowing the Rapid Support Forces to receive military assistance from its territory.
The latest escalation comes as neighbouring Sudan remains locked in its own civil war between the army and the RSF, increasing concerns over the potential for regional spillover.
Fears have also grown over the safety of civilians and media organisations in Tigray after a drone struck the headquarters of Tigrai TV in Mekelle on Sunday.
With the previous conflict estimated to have killed around 600,000 people, renewed fighting has triggered fresh concerns about another humanitarian crisis and further instability in the region.
