Fighting has erupted between Ethiopian federal forces and Tigrayan fighters in the Afar region, raising fresh concerns that Ethiopia’s fragile peace could face another major setback.
Humanitarian sources said clashes began overnight in the Abala and Erebti areas of Afar. One humanitarian organisation said it had sent a truck carrying food to assist people displaced by the fighting, while another source confirmed clashes in both locations.
The latest violence comes amid rising tensions between Ethiopia’s federal government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), which fought a devastating war against federal forces between 2020 and 2022. Recent tensions have included renewed territorial disputes, political disagreements and military confrontations.
Reports from the Tigray-Afar border also indicate exchanges of gunfire involving Tigrayan forces and rival armed groups, although claims of a return to full-scale war have not been independently confirmed.
The development follows the formation of a new alliance involving the TPLF and six other Ethiopian armed groups seeking to challenge Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government.
Humanitarian organisations are concerned that further escalation could cause additional displacement in communities still recovering from the previous conflict.
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