Hundreds flee clashes in northern Ethiopia as tensions rise in region
There are fears of a return to full-scale conflict in Tigray as a peace deal has not been fully implemented.
Hundreds of Ethiopians have fled into neighboring Sudan following weekend clashes between regional forces and the Ethiopian army in the northern Tigray region, a flashpoint where remnants of the 2020-2022 civil war persist.
The fighting, described as one of the most serious confrontations since the civil war ended four years ago, erupted on Saturday morning in Shererina, a locality near the Sudanese border. A member of the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) reported that the violence, which extended into Sunday, involved heavy artillery and drones.
The two-year civil war in northern Ethiopia, which pitted the TPLF against the federal government and resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths, concluded with an African Union-brokered peace deal in 2022. However, concerns are mounting over a potential return to full-scale conflict, as the peace agreement has not been fully implemented and the TPLF has regained control of Tigray, having ousted the interim administration established as part of the conflict's resolution.
There are also fears that the fighting could become a proxy for the Sudanese civil war, with allegations that warring factions in Sudan are backing opposing sides in Ethiopia.
Both the TPLF and federal authorities attributed blame to each other for Saturday's clashes. The TPLF-led regional administration accused the federal government of initiating an "open war" in the Shererina area, asserting that the offensive violated the peace agreement and aimed to "subjugate and dividing" the people of Tigray.
While the federal government and army have not released an official statement, Minister Abraham Belay confirmed the clashes in a social media post. He accused the "TPLF clique" of instigating the fighting and warned of "worse consequences" if the conflict persisted. The minister also advocated for dialogue, emphasizing that disputes should be resolved through peaceful negotiations rather than war, stating, "Today, it is better to reach out for peace before destruction."
The exact death toll from the weekend's fighting remains unclear. However, Sudanese medical and local sources informed AFP that civilians and wounded fighters crossed the border, while witnesses reported hearing explosions, heavy gunfire, and aircraft throughout Saturday.
Shererina, a small area in western Tigray, holds strategic significance due to the ongoing dispute over western Tigray between Tigray and Amhara, the regional state to its south, since the civil war.