Ethiopia's Tigray Rebels Say They Are in 'Full-Blown War' With Federal Government
Tigrayan rebel representatives told AFP heavy artillery attacks have been reported in neighboring regions as tensions with Addis Ababa escalate.
Rebels in Ethiopia's northern Tigray region said Thursday they are now in a state of "full-blown war" with the federal government, according to a report by France 24 citing AFP. The rebels said heavy artillery attacks have been reported in states neighboring Tigray.
The statement points to a sharp escalation after months of rising tension between Ethiopia's federal government and authorities in Tigray. The region fought a devastating civil war against federal forces from 2020 to 2022 that, according to African Union estimates, killed more than 600,000 people, making it one of the deadliest conflicts of the past decade.
A Fragile Peace Under Strain
The 2020-2022 war ended with a peace agreement between Tigrayan forces and the federal government, but relations have remained fragile, with periodic reports of friction over the implementation of the deal, control of disputed territory, and the political future of Tigray's leadership. Renewed large-scale fighting would mark a serious breakdown of that peace process.
The report did not specify casualty figures or the precise locations of the reported artillery exchanges. Ethiopia's federal government had not issued a public response to the rebels' characterization of the situation at the time of the report.
Sources
- Ethiopia's Tigray rebels in 'full-blown' war with govt — France 24 — English
EGazette summarizes reporting from multiple sources; follow the links for the originals.
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