The fragile peace in northern Ethiopia is teetering on the edge of collapse as the federal government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front trade accusations of launching fresh military offensives. Tension reached a breaking point this week following reports that Tigrayan fighters seized federally administered airports and pushed into the neighboring Afar and Amhara regions. In response, Getachew Reda, an adviser to the prime minister, described the move as an all out offensive, while Tigrayan authorities claim they have been forced into a defensive war after suffering devastating drone strikes on civilian areas.
The escalation comes just two years after a brutal conflict that claimed an estimated 600,000 lives and left millions facing famine. While a peace deal brokered by the African Union formally ended the fighting in 2022, both sides have spent recent months alleging violations of the agreement. The current crisis deepened when the TPLF announced a strategic alliance with six other armed groups aimed at removing the government in Addis Ababa, fueling suspicions that a coordinated effort to overthrow the central administration is underway.
On the ground in Mekelle, residents describe a city gripped by anxiety and economic desperation. Local sources report that forces took control of the city’s airport from national police early Wednesday, leading Ethiopian Airlines to cancel all flights to the region. Beyond the threat of combat, citizens are struggling with severe cash shortages and frozen budgets for civil servants, creating a volatile atmosphere where any disruption in communication could lead to total chaos. Many locals say it feels as though an unofficial curfew has fallen over the city as people limit their movements in fear of returning violence.
International observers and diplomats are sounding alarms as casualties begin to mount again. Reports indicate that drone strikes in towns like Alamata have already killed dozens of civilians, with officials claiming targets included secondary schools. The United States and the African Union have called for immediate de-escalation, warning that renewing hostilities would be a catastrophic mistake. As both governments dig in their heels and call upon their supporters for unity, the window for diplomatic intervention is closing rapidly on a region that can ill afford another war.
