Fighting broke out on Saturday between Ethiopian federal forces and rebels from the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) in northern Ethiopia. These clashes have reignited fears of a new conflict in a region that emerged from a deadly war less than four years ago. According to rebel authorities, the clashes were still ongoing by midday.
Amanuel Assefa, the TPLF’s second-in-command, told AFP that federal forces launched an attack around 6 a.m. local time against Tigrayan positions in Shererina, near the border with Sudan. He stated that the fighting involves heavy artillery and is taking place in Western Tigray, a disputed area administered by nationalists from the neighboring Amhara region. The federal army spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment.
In a statement, the TPLF accused the federal government of escalating military operations by launching a “vast infantry offensive.” For several months, Addis Ababa and Tigrayan authorities have accused each other of preparing for a resumption of hostilities, with forces from both sides deployed along the Tigray border.
Tensions also extend to relations between Ethiopia and Sudan. Addis Ababa accuses Khartoum of supporting TPLF fighters, while Sudanese authorities recently denounced drone strikes originating from Ethiopian territory.
Kjetil Tronvoll, a Horn of Africa specialist at the Oslo New University College, described this confrontation as “the most serious military escalation observed in northern Ethiopia in some time.” He suggested it could signal a larger military campaign or serve as a show of force intended to deter the TPLF.
Tigray, home to about 6 million people, emerged in 2022 from a war between the TPLF and federal forces, supported by local militias and the Eritrean army. This conflict, which took place between 2020 and 2022, resulted in at least 600,000 deaths, according to an African Union estimate. The peace agreement signed in Pretoria in November 2022 ended the fighting, but several commitments remain unimplemented, notably the return of hundreds of thousands of displaced persons and the disarmament of the TPLF.
Relations between Addis Ababa and Tigrayan authorities have deteriorated again in recent months. The federal government accuses the TPLF of moving closer to Eritrea, with whom relations have severely worsened. Meanwhile, Amanuel Assefa told AFP that his movement maintains ties with “everyone fighting the federal government,” without providing further details. Additionally, Human Rights Watch and AFP have reported that Tigrayan rebel authorities are resorting to forced recruitment. In late April, the TPLF also reinstated a regional parliament deemed illegitimate by the federal government, further heightening political tensions.
Captured & Published at: 2026-08-01 19:38:41 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://2424.mg/conflits-des-combats-eclatent-entre-les-forces-federales-et-les-rebelles-tigreens-dans-le-nord-de-lethiopie/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=conflits-des-combats-eclatent-entre-les-forces-federales-et-les-rebelles-tigreens-dans-le-nord-de-lethiopie