Tigray Liberation Front Declares "Full-Blown War" Against Ethiopian Government

A senior official in the authorities of Ethiopia's Tigray region announced that the rebels are waging what he described as a "full-blown war" against the central Ethiopian government, marking a new escalation in tensions between the two sides in northern Ethiopia.

According to the official, the statements come as sources have reported heavy-weapons shelling operations in areas near the region in northern Ethiopia, though the extent of the damage or casualties resulting from these operations could not be independently verified.

The official did not provide further details on the scope of the announced military operations or the objectives Tigray forces are seeking to achieve through what they described as the full-blown war.

This development comes amid strained relations between the authorities of the Tigray region and the federal government in Addis Ababa, which in recent years witnessed a large-scale armed conflict before a peace agreement was reached between the two sides.

The Ethiopian federal government has not yet issued any official comment on the Tigray official's statements, while observers are watching for developments in the coming days to see whether the rhetorical escalation will translate into widespread confrontations on the ground.

Northern Ethiopia has experienced heightened security sensitivity since the conflict that erupted in Tigray in 2020, which left significant human and material losses, before the signing of the Pretoria peace agreement in November 2022.