Tigrayan Leaders Declare New War Following Outbreak of Fighting That Shatters Ethiopia Peace Deal

Leaders of the northern Ethiopian region of Tigray announced on Wednesday that they have entered a new war with the federal government as fighting erupted across Tigray and two neighboring regions, effectively shattering a four-year-old peace deal.

A previous 2020-2022 civil war fought between the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and federal forces resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths prior to the signing of the Pretoria Agreement in November 2022. The outbreak of fresh hostilities follows months of mounting tensions, culminating in Sunday's announcement that the TPLF formed an alliance with six other armed groups across Ethiopia with the objective of overthrowing Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government.

“Following the intensification of the invasion conducted through various methods by Abiy Ahmed’s autocratic and genocidal Prosperity regime against the people of Tigray… the Tigray National Regional Government announced that the Tigray Forces have been instructed to counter the attack and have entered a defensive war,” stated the TPLF-led regional administration.

Getachew Reda, an adviser to Abiy and a former TPLF official, stated on X that the TPLF seized control of federally controlled airports located in Tigray and launched an "all out offensive" directed at government positions within the neighboring regions of Afar and Amhara. In response to these developments, Ethiopian Airlines suspended its flights to the region.

Four distinct sources—including a senior Ethiopian government official, a diplomatic source, a humanitarian source, and an additional source with connections to the TPLF and an allied militia—confirmed the ongoing developments spanning Tigray, Afar, and Amhara. Sources reported that Tigrayan forces are fighting alongside a local armed group in Afar, while collaborating with the Fano militia in Amhara. Fano previously supported the federal government during the 2020-2022 conflict before turning against it in 2023, and is now a member of the newly formed alliance alongside the TPLF.

Spokespeople representing Abiy, the federal government, and the TPLF did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Wednesday. The federal government has accused the TPLF of breaching the Pretoria Agreement and attempting to foster chaos. Abiy’s spokesperson, Billene Seyoum, stated to Reuters on Monday that members of the newly formed alliance had collaborated for some time with financial backing from Eritrea, Ethiopia’s neighbor and historic adversary. Eritrea has repeatedly denied accusations alleging support for Ethiopian armed groups, and its information minister declined to comment on Wednesday regarding the latest events.