Fresh clashes in northern Ethiopia have forced hundreds of civilians to flee into Sudan, reviving fears that the fragile peace deal which ended the devastating Tigray war could be unravelling.
Hundreds of people have fled Ethiopia’s Tigray region into neighbouring Sudan after heavy fighting broke out between regional forces and the Ethiopian army, raising fresh concerns that the country could be heading back towards a wider conflict.
The clashes erupted on Saturday in Shererina, a town near the Sudanese border, and continued into Sunday. A member of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) said heavy artillery and drones were used during the fighting, making it one of the most serious confrontations since the civil war ended in 2022.
The conflict between the Ethiopian government and the TPLF claimed hundreds of thousands of lives before an African Union-brokered peace agreement brought an end to two years of fighting. However, many parts of that agreement remain unfulfilled, leaving tensions high across the region.
Both sides blamed each other for the latest violence.
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The TPLF-led regional administration accused the federal government of launching what it described as an “open war” in Shererina, saying the offensive violated the peace agreement and was aimed at “subjugating and dividing” the people of Tigray.
Ethiopian authorities rejected the accusation. Government minister Abraham Belay said the “TPLF clique” had triggered the fighting and warned that the conflict could have “worse consequences” if it continued.
“Today, it is better to reach out for peace before destruction,” Belay wrote, urging both sides to resolve their differences through dialogue.
The number of casualties remains unclear, but Sudanese medical workers and local officials said civilians and wounded fighters crossed the border seeking safety. Witnesses described hearing powerful explosions, heavy gunfire and aircraft flying overhead throughout Saturday.
The renewed violence has also fuelled fears that Ethiopia’s conflict could become entangled with the ongoing civil war in Sudan, as both sides accuse rival Sudanese factions of supporting opposing forces in Tigray. With thousands still displaced and tensions rising, many residents fear the region could once again be pulled into a devastating war.
