Ethiopia's army chief, Field Marshal Birhanu Jula, has accused Eritrea and Sudan of backing armed groups fighting federal troops, as clashes with Tigrayan rebels intensify. The accusations come amid renewed fighting between the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) and the federal government, which has raised fears of a return to the 2020-2022 civil war that resulted in an estimated 600,000 deaths. The TPLF has seized airports and launched attacks into neighboring states.
The TPLF has allied with seven armed groups around the country and appears to be repeating a strategy from the last war of pushing south through Amhara towards Addis Ababa. Its offensive in Afar is aimed at cutting supplies from Djibouti, which provides almost all of Ethiopia's international trade cargo, including fuel. A humanitarian source reported that rebels captured the Afar town of Erebti on Sunday after being pounded by heavy artillery.
The TPLF was now advancing towards the town of Afdeera, some 100 kilometers east of Erebti. According to a humanitarian source, at least 150,000 people have been displaced in Afar, but precise numbers are difficult to determine. The federal government in Addis Ababa has significant military advantages, including a large arsenal of drones, some 500,000 troops, and support from abroad, notably the United Arab Emirates.
The headquarters of Tigrai TV, a key outlet for the rebel authorities in the Tigrayan capital, Mekelle, was hit by a drone on Sunday. A journalist from the station reported hearing a loud bang from a drone strike and fleeing the building. Photos showed the building's facade damaged and blackened, with numerous windows blown out by the explosion. The channel has not commented on the incident.
Communications have been limited since Friday when telecoms providers reported major disruptions to phone and internet services in Tigray, making reporting on the conflict difficult. Many in Tigray fear a repeat of a blockade imposed by the federal government during the 2020-2022 conflict when electricity, banking, and almost all aid were cut off. United Nations chief Antonio Guterres raised concerns on Friday, his spokesman saying Guterres was troubled by reports of drone use and civilian harm.
The conflict could draw in neighboring Eritrea on the side of the rebels, as it fears landlocked Ethiopia has been planning to invade and seize a direct point of access to the Red Sea. Eritrea's involvement could escalate the conflict further. The TPLF ruled all of Ethiopia from 1991 to 2018 before being sidelined with Abiy's rise to the prime minister's post, triggering a civil war marked by widespread war crimes and sexual violence.
The Pretoria Peace Agreement of 2022, brokered by African institutions and Washington, maintained an uneasy calm until last year. However, it was never fully implemented, leaving around one million people unable to return to their homes. Sporadic clashes then resumed, with federal forces launching multiple drone strikes in Tigray in recent months and massing troops at the border. Rights groups have accused the TPLF of a campaign of forced recruitment this year as it prepared for renewed conflict.
Key points
- Ethiopia's army chief accuses Eritrea and Sudan of backing Tigray rebels.
- Clashes between the TPLF and federal government raise fears of a return to civil war.
- The conflict could draw in neighboring Eritrea on the side of the rebels.
