Tigray Forces Declare “Full-Blown War” On Ethiopia
Tigray rebels say they are now in a “full-blown war” with Ethiopia’s government. TPLF Vice President Amanuel Assefa reports heavy fighting in the Afar and Amhara regions.
Causes of the Conflict:
The current escalation stems from months of growing animosity following the Pretoria Agreement signed in November 2022, which ended the previous civil war. The TPLF announced on Sunday the formation of an alliance with six other armed groups aimed at overthrowing Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government. The TPLF-led regional administration stated it ordered forces to counter what it described as an “invasion” by Abiy’s “autocratic and genocidal Prosperity regime”.
The roots of the broader conflict trace back to a power struggle between the TPLF…which dominated Ethiopian politics for nearly three decades and Prime Minister Abiy, who came to power in 2018. Tensions escalated after Tigray defied the central government by holding its own regional election in September 2020, which Addis Ababa declared illegal. The immediate trigger was the November 2020 attack on a federal military base, which the government blamed on TPLF forces.
Israel has airlifted over 2,000 Ethiopians from the conflict zone, though Ethiopian PM Abiy Ahmed reportedly accused Israel of evacuating officers suspected of committing war crimes. Israel faces a strategic dilemma: it maintains good relations with the Abiy government but also has historical ties to the TPLF.
The conflict has killed thousands, displaced millions, and left nearly one million people in famine-like conditions.
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