Tigray tensions rise as Ethiopia, regional authorities trade offensive claims

Ethiopia’s federal government and authorities in the northern Tigray region have accused each other of launching military offensives, raising fears of a return to full-scale conflict less than four years after a devastating war ended.

Getachew Reda, an adviser to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and a cabinet minister, accused the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), which controls the region, of taking control of federally administered airports in Tigray and launching attacks in the neighbouring Afar and Amhara regions.

Tigrayan authorities, however, said their forces had been forced into what they described as a “defensive war” following reports of drone strikes in the region.

The latest escalation comes after months of tensions between the federal government and the TPLF over the implementation of the Pretoria Agreement, the African Union-brokered peace deal that formally ended the two-year Tigray war in November 2022.

The conflict was one of Africa’s deadliest in recent decades. An African Union mediator estimated that about 600,000 people died during the fighting, which also pushed parts of Tigray towards famine.

On Sunday, the TPLF announced an alliance with six other armed groups in Ethiopia, saying they would work together to remove the government in Addis Ababa.

In a statement shared on social media, Mr Getachew accused the TPLF leadership of launching an “all-out offensive” against government positions in Afar and Amhara.

“It is rather heartbreaking to learn that, despite efforts by many, including the international community, to avoid yet another round of war in Tigray, the TPLF leadership early this morning launched an all-out offensive against government positions in Afar and Amhara,” he said.

Mr Getachew previously led Tigray’s interim administration but fell out with the TPLF in 2025 before joining the federal government.

Airports seized, flights cancelled

Following the reported seizure of airports in Tigray, Ethiopian Airlines cancelled all flights to the region.

Residents of Mekelle, Tigray’s regional capital, told the BBC that local forces took control of the city’s airport from national police early Wednesday.

The development followed reports of drone strikes in Tigray in recent days.

Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, chairperson of the African Union Commission, called for an “immediate de-escalation” and urged the parties to return to negotiations.

The United States ambassador to Ethiopia also condemned what he described as the TPLF’s “poor decision to launch a large-scale offensive”, calling it an “unwinnable fight”.

But Tigrayan authorities have accused the federal government of launching an “open invasion” of the region and urged residents to support regional forces and maintain unity.

They also accused Addis Ababa of violating international humanitarian and human rights laws, alleging that public services and critical infrastructure had been disrupted.

Drone strikes raise further tensions

On Tuesday, a strike in Alamata, a town in southern Tigray, killed at least 14 people and injured 22 others, according to Tigrayan authorities.

The town’s mayor, Mogos Shiferaw, told the BBC that more than five drones and one fighter jet carried out more than 21 strikes from about 3:30 a.m.

“This caused a lot of psychological trauma in our city and our people were in a state of panic,” he said.

Mr Mogos said the victims were civilians and accused federal forces of targeting two secondary schools.

He said the schools may have been targeted because of suspicions that they were being used by Tigrayan forces. However, he said the schools were unoccupied because the academic year had not begun.

The BBC said it could not independently verify the allegations, while the Ethiopian government had not commented on the reported strikes.

The US State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs also condemned a separate drone strike it said occurred on Monday, targeting a convoy of Catholic vehicles carrying food aid.

The United States called for an investigation and urged all sides to resolve their differences through dialogue.

Peace deal under strain

The Pretoria Agreement ended the Tigray conflict in 2022, but key provisions of the deal have remained the subject of dispute.

Both the federal government and TPLF leaders have faced criticism over delays in implementing aspects of the agreement.

In July, Mr Abiy accused the TPLF of preparing for renewed conflict during an address to parliament.

The May general election was not held in Tigray because of the security situation. Shortly before the election, the TPLF restored its pre-war administration and disbanded an interim administration established by Mr Abiy’s government.

There have also been reports that the TPLF has been forcibly recruiting young men into its forces.

The latest confrontation has renewed concerns that Ethiopia could slide back into a broader conflict, although the competing accounts from the federal and Tigrayan authorities have yet to be independently verified.