Ethiopia and Tigray accuse each of launching offensives, fuelling fears of new war

Live updates

1. 1h ago

   Tigrayan Forces and Ethiopian Government Clash as Civil War Fears Rise

   Fighting has erupted in northern Ethiopia, with Tigrayan leaders declaring a new war has begun. Local forces have seized the Mekelle airport, prompting Ethiopian Airlines to cancel flights to the Tigray capital. While the Ethiopian army claims to have repelled TPLF attacks, reports indicate fighting is widening across the country. A new rebel alliance is reportedly targeting critical sites, leading residents in the Tigray region to stock up on supplies amid fears of a return to full-scale conflict.

   Why it matters

   This violence follows a 2022 peace deal that ended one of the 21st century's deadliest conflicts. The current escalation threatens to shatter that agreement and could potentially spread across the Horn of Africa.

   What is confirmed

   • Local forces have seized the Mekelle airport in Tigray.
   • Ethiopian Airlines canceled flights to the Tigray capital.
   • Tigrayan leaders state a new war with the Ethiopian government has begun.
   • The Ethiopian army reported it repelled TPLF attacks.
   • Fighting is widening across Ethiopia.

   Still unconfirmed

   • Ethiopia's president claims the country has shown restraint despite interference.

   What to watch next

   • Official government confirmation of the status of the 2022 peace deal
   • Evidence of the conflict spreading beyond northern Ethiopia into the Horn of Africa
   • Verification of the composition of the new rebel alliance
   Sources used for this update (19)

   1. Reuters — Tigrayan leaders say new war with Ethiopian government has begun, as fighting erupts
   2. apnews.com — Ethiopian Airlines cancels flights to Tigray capital as soldiers take over airport
   3. BBC — Ethiopia's Mekelle airport in Tigray seized by local forces, residents tell the BBC.
   4. ACLED — Ethiopia Conflict Alert: The TPLF Move On Critical Sites After Heading a New Alliance. A new phase of the next war?
   5. The New York Times — Tigray Region Mobilizes Forces Against Ethiopian Central Government
   6. The Economist — Ethiopia may be descending into another civil war
   7. Reuters — Ethiopia has shown restraint despite interference, president says
   8. The Washington Post — Attacks by new rebel alliance stoke fear Ethiopia is returning to war
   9. NPR — Fears of return to war grow in Ethiopia's Tigray region
   10. dw.com — Ethiopia: Where does the Tigray conflict go from here?
   11. Financial Times — Ethiopia on the brink of civil war after rebel offensive
   12. The Hill — Renewed fighting in northern Ethiopia effectively shatters peace deal that ended 2022 war
   confidence 90%