General News
Ethiopia Calls for Calm as Renewed Fighting Threatens Fragile Peace in Tigray
By Angel No Lie | KPD Online | September 28, 2026
Ethiopian Army Pledges Restraint Amid Growing Tensions
Ethiopia’s military has pledged to exercise restraint as renewed fighting between federal troops and armed groups in the northern Tigray region threatens to undermine the peace agreement that ended the country’s devastating civil war in 2022.
Army Chief of Staff Field Marshal Berhanu Jula said the military was responding cautiously to developments in the north, despite increasing confrontations involving Tigrayan forces and other armed groups.
He accused neighbouring Eritrea of providing financial and military support to groups seeking to destabilise Ethiopia. Eritrea has rejected accusations that it is supporting armed groups against the Ethiopian government.
The latest escalation has intensified concerns about the country’s security and the possibility of another prolonged conflict. Ethiopia’s military leadership says it is exercising restraint as escalating clashes in the country’s north raise concerns about another devastating conflict.
Ethiopian military personnel and vehicles
Fighting Spreads Beyond Tigray
The renewed fighting has extended beyond Tigray into the neighbouring Afar and Amhara regions, where federal troops and armed groups have engaged in military operations.
Reports indicate that some of the latest confrontations have occurred around Abala in Afar and North Wollo in Amhara.
Ethiopia’s military has reported significant casualties among Tigrayan fighters during counteroffensives. Tigrayan authorities, meanwhile, accuse the federal government of launching a major military operation involving ground forces and drones.
The competing battlefield claims have not been independently verified.
Tigrayan fighters in northern Ethiopia
Seven Armed Groups Form New Opposition Alliance
The latest escalation follows the formation of a coalition of seven Ethiopian armed groups opposed to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government.
The coalition, known as the Ethiopian Peoples’ Forces Alliance for Survival, brings together organisations that previously fought on opposing sides of Ethiopia’s civil war.
Its members include the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, the Amhara Fano National Movement and the Oromo Liberation Army.
The groups have announced their intention to remove the current federal government and establish a transitional administration. However, questions remain about their ability to coordinate military operations and resolve their longstanding political differences.
Armed fighters in Ethiopia’s Tigray region
Ethiopia’s 2022 Peace Agreement Faces a Major Test
The renewed violence has placed considerable pressure on the Pretoria Agreement, signed in November 2022 to end two years of fighting between the Ethiopian government and Tigrayan forces.
The previous conflict killed hundreds of thousands of people, displaced millions and caused widespread destruction across northern Ethiopia.
Although the agreement ended large-scale hostilities, disputes over territorial control, security arrangements and political representation have persisted.
The latest confrontations have raised serious questions about whether the remaining provisions of the peace agreement can be implemented without renewed negotiations.
Civilian life in Ethiopia’s Tigray region
African Union Urges Dialogue
The African Union has expressed concern about the escalating violence and called on the parties to stop actions that could worsen the conflict.
African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf has urged restraint and a return to direct dialogue, emphasising the importance of the Pretoria Agreement in maintaining stability.
The European Union and United States have also called for de-escalation and renewed political engagement.
African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa
Civilians Face Renewed Uncertainty
For communities still recovering from the previous war, renewed fighting brings the prospect of further displacement, disrupted livelihoods and restricted access to essential services.
Reports of suspended flights, interrupted communications and military operations have heightened uncertainty across northern Ethiopia.
Humanitarian concerns have also increased following reports of drone attacks and potential threats to civilians.
With the federal government and Tigrayan forces offering conflicting accounts of the fighting, diplomatic efforts to prevent further escalation remain critical.
The immediate challenge is whether the parties can return to negotiations before the violence spreads further and causes additional humanitarian suffering.
Civilians affected by conflict in northern Ethiopia
Reporting sources:
The Guardian
Reuters
Associated Press