Ethiopia’s Afar region has accused forces from neighbouring Tigray of launching new assaults, seizing villages, and bombarding civilians, reviving fears of renewed internal strife.
The Afar regional administration said the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) invaded six villages in Megale district, using heavy artillery against pastoralist communities. Authorities warned they would “undertake their defensive duty” if the attacks persisted.
Interim officials in Tigray rejected the accusations as “baseless” and described them as part of a “malicious plot” against the Tigrayan people. They instead accused Afar forces of carrying out repeated raids in recent years.
A humanitarian source, speaking anonymously, confirmed clashes occurred but said fighting subsided by Wednesday evening. “Many people were displaced,” the source said, though no casualties were reported.
The exchange marks the latest escalation between the two regions, whose relations remain fragile since the 2020–2022 civil war that killed an estimated 600,000 people.
Analysts warn Ethiopia’s stability is once again at risk. “The country has been on a path to war for months,” said Kjetil Tronvoll, a professor at Oslo New University College.
The TPLF, which once dominated Ethiopian politics, has faced increasing isolation under Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. The group was barred from political activity in May and accused by Addis Ababa of aligning with Eritrea to prepare for renewed conflict.
Last month, the federal government suspended over two billion birrs ($13.1 million) in funding to Tigray, alleging the money was being diverted for military purposes. Abiy told parliament such misuse “harms the region and leaves ordinary people suffering.”
With over a million people still displaced and Tigray’s economy depleted, the latest flare-up deepens Ethiopia’s lingering wounds — and signals a fragile peace edging once more toward the brink.