Escalating Conflicts Across Ethiopia Spark Fears of a Widened Civil War Following New Opposition Alliance

Fighting has intensified dramatically across Ethiopia's Tigray region and spread into the neighbouring Afar and Amhara regions, marking what local officials describe as a full-scale war. The military escalation involves federal forces engaging with multiple armed groups through infantry, mechanised units, and drone strikes, disrupting air travel and regional stability.

The outbreak of renewed hostilities follows the formation of the Ethiopian Peoples’ Forces Alliance for Survival, a new coalition uniting seven armed movements—including the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), the Amhara Fano National Movement, and the Oromo Liberation Army—with the shared goal of removing Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government.

Regional bodies such as IGAD have called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and a return to direct dialogue, while the United Nations expresses growing concern over the widening conflict and the humanitarian toll on displaced populations. Analysts warn that the new alignment of former adversaries could severely test the stability of the Horn of Africa as regional tensions continue to intersect with domestic conflicts.