Ethiopia’s Tigray region is facing instability due to divisions within the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and concerns of renewed conflict. Flight cancellations have been reported, alongside recent seizures of key locations by a dissident faction. Government officials are warning of the dangers of escalating violence, which could disrupt humanitarian efforts across the Horn of Africa.
The situation in Ethiopia’s Tigray region has become increasingly unstable, with reports of cancelled flights. Concerns about renewed violence are connected to internal divisions within the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), which is navigating a post-war governance structure after a two-year conflict with Ethiopia’s federal forces.
During the war, Eritrean troops intervened on behalf of the Ethiopian federal army against TPLF forces. A peace deal established in November 2022 has caused tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea, which were not involved in the negotiations. Recent developments have sparked fears that a divided TPLF may lead to renewed conflict.
According to Reuters, factions within the TPLF have emerged, including a group that runs Tigray with federal government support and another opposing it. A dissident faction recently seized Adigrat, Tigray’s second-largest town, claiming the interim leadership was neglecting Tigrayan interests. This coup followed the capture of significant locations and a radio station in Mekelle.
Getachew Reda, head of the Tigray interim administration, has urged the Ethiopian government for assistance against the dissidents, who assert they have no affiliation with Eritrea. He expressed concern over the Tigrayan population potentially being victims in another conflict, alluding to external influences.
Reports warn that a resurgence of violence could undermine the peace efforts led by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019 for facilitating a rapprochement in the region. The potential for new conflict poses severe risks to humanitarian efforts already strained by ongoing crises across the Horn of Africa.
The deterioration of stability in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, marked by internal TPLF divisions and external influences, raises significant concerns about renewed violence. The situation necessitates monitoring due to the potential humanitarian crises that might arise from renewed conflict, impacting millions already affected by regional instability.
Original Source: www.aciafrica.org
