Hundreds flee fighting in northern Ethiopia as fears rise of return to civil war
Hundreds of people from Ethiopia's Tigray region have crossed into neighbouring Sudan after fighting between regional forces and the Ethiopian army over the weekend. The clashes broke out on Saturday morning in Shererina, near the border with Sudan, and continued into Sunday. The violence is being described as one of the most serious confrontations since the 2022 peace deal that ended the Tigray war.
Sponsored
A member of the Tigray People's Liberation Front said the fighting involved heavy artillery and drones. The TPLF-led regional administration accused the federal government of launching an open war in the Shererina area and said the offensive violated the peace agreement. It also said the attack was aimed at subjugating and dividing the people of Tigray.
The federal government and the federal army have not issued a formal statement, but minister Abraham Belay confirmed that clashes had taken place. In a social media post, he blamed the TPLF clique for starting the fighting and warned of worse consequences if the conflict continued. He also called for dialogue and said disputes should be resolved through peaceful negotiations rather than war.
The reported displacement underlines how quickly the fighting has spread beyond the immediate battlefield. Sudanese medical and local sources said civilians and wounded fighters fled across the border, while witnesses reported explosions, heavy gunfire and aircraft throughout Saturday. The border location also raises concern that the violence could affect an already fragile frontier area and deepen pressure on civilians seeking safety.
Sponsored
The confrontation comes against the backdrop of a peace deal brokered by the African Union in 2022 that ended a two-year civil war in northern Ethiopia. That conflict between the TPLF and the federal government led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people, and the agreement has not been fully implemented. The TPLF is now back in control of Tigray after pushing out the interim administration created as part of the settlement, leaving the political and security situation unsettled.
There are also concerns that the fighting could become entangled with Sudan's own civil war, with accusations that the warring sides there are backing opposing factions in Ethiopia. What remains unclear is the full death toll, the extent of the damage, and whether the clashes will spread beyond Shererina. The next developments to watch are whether the federal authorities issue a detailed response, whether the TPLF and the army continue to exchange blame, and whether any mediation effort emerges to prevent a wider return to conflict.
Sponsored
