Fighting erupts in western Tigray, threatening peace deal

Clashes have broken out in western Tigray, representing one of the most serious violations to date of the fragile 2022 peace agreement between Ethiopia's federal government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF). The fighting near Sheraro, close to the Sudanese border, signals a significant escalation after months of strained relations.

Tigray's regional government stated that federal forces initiated the assault at dawn on Saturday, advancing from the direction of Sheraro. However, Abraham Belay, an Ethiopian government minister who previously led Tigray's transitional government, confirmed the fighting but accused TPLF chairman Debretsion Gebremichael's forces of starting the clashes. "Enough war! Let us resolve our differences through dialogue," Belay posted on Facebook.

This outbreak of violence follows a period of deteriorating relations between Addis Ababa and the TPLF, the party that dominated Ethiopia for nearly three decades before Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed took power in 2018. Both sides have accused each other of failing to adhere to the terms of the November 2022 peace accord signed in Pretoria. Tigrayan authorities claim the federal government has maintained a prolonged blockade and conducted drone operations against the region, which they now see as an escalation to full-scale war.

The regional government has called on Tigrayan forces, civil society, and religious institutions to prepare for what it termed a struggle for national survival, using the slogan "No to National Destruction." Meanwhile, Getachew Reda, a former TPLF spokesman now advising Abiy, urged Tigray Defence Forces commanders to reject Debretsion, accusing him of seeking to regain power through alliances with Eritrea and the Amhara Fano militia. Reda and Redwan Hussein, Ethiopia's intelligence chief, had previously warned of imminent war in an Al Jazeera op-ed.

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Enough war! Let us resolve our differences through dialogue