Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has said his government does not want war, even as regional authorities in Tigray report that federal forces are amassing near the northern region, raising fears of renewed conflict.
Tigray emerged from a devastating two-year war in 2022 that involved federal troops, allied militias and Eritrean forces fighting against the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), which had dominated Ethiopian politics for decades before being marginalised after Abiy came to power in 2018.
Estimates from the African Union suggest at least 600,000 people were killed in the conflict, and although a ceasefire held for over two years, renewed clashes broke out again in November last year and January.
Large numbers of federal troops have reportedly been deployed near the Tigray border for weeks, with Tigrayan forces also positioning fighters in response. Abiy said in a televised interview that disputes should be resolved through dialogue and stressed that his administration is committed to peaceful solutions.
However, TPLF officials have accused the federal government of preparing for another offensive, while tensions also persist over Ethiopia’s relations with neighbouring Eritrea, which has had strained ties with Addis Ababa and historical border disputes with the region.
