The Ethiopian government and Tigray forces have each accused the other of initiating attacks, resulting in the seizure of an airport in the Tigray region and raising concerns that the civil war, which ended four years ago, could erupt again.
Foreign news agencies report that Ethiopia's federal government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), which governs the northern Tigray region, have accused each other of launching attacks first, sparking fears that the conflict could escalate into a full-scale war again after the major civil war ended in 2022.
Getachew Reda, advisor to Ethiopia's Prime Minister, stated that Tigray fighters have seized a government-controlled airport in the Tigray region and launched attacks in neighboring regions including Afar and Amhara.
The TPLF claims it is forced into a "self-defense war" and accuses the federal government of initiating "open aggression," citing over 21 drone and air attacks on the city of Alamata that killed at least 14 civilians and injured 22, including an airstrike on a Catholic food aid convoy.
Tigray local forces have taken control of the airport in Mekelle, the regional capital, prompting Ethiopian Airlines to cancel all flights to the Tigray region.
Previously, the TPLF announced alliances with six other armed groups in Ethiopia aiming to overthrow the federal government in Addis Ababa.
The Chairperson of the African Union Commission called on both sides to immediately de-escalate tensions and return to negotiations.
Meanwhile, the US ambassador to Ethiopia condemned the TPLF's decision to launch a major attack, calling it a "battle with no winners," and the US State Department condemned attacks on food convoys and called for investigations.
Both the Ethiopian government and Tigray forces have been heavily criticized for neglecting and delaying implementation of the Pretoria peace agreement reached in 2022.
Tensions between the two sides have been building since the general elections in May, which were not held in Tigray due to security issues, prompting the TPLF to restore its pre-war governance structure, dissolve the interim administration appointed by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, and reportedly begin recruiting young men again.
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Source:bbc