Ethiopia's federal military has said it is handling rising tensions in the country's north with restraint, as fears grow that Ethiopia could be heading towards another civil war. Army Chief of Staff Field Marshal Berhanu Jula said the army was responding to provocations from the Tigray front with "wisdom and restraint". He accused Eritrea of funding and supporting armed groups to weaken Ethiopia.
The fighting has spread from Tigray into neighbouring Afar and Amhara regions after seven armed groups announced an alliance, the Ethiopian Peoples' Forces Alliance for Survival, committed to removing Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government. In Afar, the latest battles have taken place around Abala, where the military has been trying to prevent rebels from seizing control. The military has been engaging the rebels in a counter-offensive.
Separately, in North Wollo, a zone of Amhara bordering Tigray, the army said it had killed 272 Tigrayan fighters and wounded 260 in a counter-offensive, reporting heavy losses for the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF). The TPLF's Tigray Army said the federal government had launched a "full-scale offensive" involving infantry, mechanised units and drones. Addisalem Balema, a TPLF central committee member, told Al Jazeera the situation had become a "full war".
Fighting has also continued around Sama, Soqota and Raya Alamata, with government forces reportedly closing in on the town of Alamata. The army command said it prefers a strategy of "strategic calm" over a large-scale military confrontation, arguing the Tigray front's popular support is dwindling and its leadership divided. Internet access was reportedly cut across northern Ethiopia on Friday.
The renewed fighting has put the 2022 Pretoria Agreement, which ended a brutal two-year civil war in Tigray, under severe strain. It comes weeks after Washington lifted sanctions on Ethiopia and Eritrea tied to atrocities from the last war, saying the "national emergency … has expired". This development marks the most serious challenge yet to that agreement, raising fears of a wider regional conflict.
Addressing the UN General Assembly, Ethiopia's president sought to portray the country as a force for regional stability, accusing unnamed external actors of meddling in Ethiopia's affairs while highlighting Addis Ababa's role in supporting peace efforts in neighbouring Sudan. The president's comments reflect the government's efforts to manage the crisis and maintain stability in the region.
Alemayehu Weldemariam, a professor of law at Indiana University, attributed the collapse of the Pretoria Agreement to the federal government, citing fuel, service and cash restrictions imposed on Tigray, and the government's failure to set up the interim administration the deal had promised. The situation remains volatile, with many fearing the conflict could escalate into a wider regional war.
Key points
- The Ethiopian military has accused Eritrea of funding and supporting armed groups to weaken Ethiopia.
- The renewed fighting has put the 2022 Pretoria Agreement under severe strain.
- The conflict has spread to neighbouring Afar and Amhara regions.
