Fighting breaks out in western Tigray as Ethiopia and TPLF trade blame

Armed clashes have resumed in western Tigray, signalling a critical breakdown in the ceasefire established by the November 2022 Pretoria Agreement. The fighting near Sheraro, close to the Sudanese border, represents the most serious military confrontation since the peace deal halted a devastating three-year conflict that claimed hundreds of thousands of lives.

Tigray's regional government attributed the outbreak to federal forces launching an assault at dawn on Saturday from the Sheraro direction. However, Abraham Belay, a government minister involved in Tigray's transitional administration during the war, disputed this account and accused the Tigray People's Liberation Front leadership under Debretsion Gebremichael of initiating hostilities. Belay called for dialogue to resolve differences, stating "Enough war."

The resumption of violence follows months of deteriorating relations and mutual accusations of non-compliance with the peace agreement. Tigrayan authorities have alleged that Ethiopia's ruling Prosperity Party maintained a prolonged blockade and conducted drone operations against the region, which they characterise as having now escalated into full-scale warfare. The regional government issued a call to Tigrayan forces, civil society, and religious institutions to mobilise for what it framed as a struggle for national survival.

Experts and observers have highlighted that while the 2022 agreement ended active hostilities, fundamental disputes remain unresolved. Kjetil Tronvoll, an Ethiopia specialist at Oslo New University College, characterised the current fighting as the most serious incident since the peace deal, noting that core conflicts between Mekelle and Addis Ababa persist. The agreement left unaddressed critical issues including disarmament and the TPLF's legal status.

International pressure has accompanied the deterioration. In June, the United States imposed visa restrictions on individuals it identified as TPLF hardliners obstructing peace efforts, though the TPLF rejected this characterisation as based on incomplete information. By mid-July, the TPLF declared the Pretoria agreement "effectively dead," signalling a formal abandonment of the peace framework.