Tigray, Ethiopia (Running Africa) — Fresh fighting has erupted in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, raising new concerns over the future of the 2022 Pretoria Peace Agreement that ended one of Africa’s deadliest recent conflicts between the Ethiopian federal government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).
The latest clashes were reported near Sheraro, close to the Sudan border, with both sides accusing each other of triggering the violence.
The renewed hostilities mark one of the most significant challenges to the fragile peace agreement since it was signed in November 2022, fueling fears that tensions could escalate into a broader conflict.
Tigrayan authorities accused Ethiopian federal forces of launching an early morning assault in western Tigray, while officials in Addis Ababa said TPLF-aligned fighters initiated the confrontation.
Neither side’s claims could be independently verified.
The exchange of accusations comes after months of deteriorating relations between the federal government and the TPLF, despite the peace agreement remaining formally in place.
Unresolved Issues Continue to Test Pretoria Peace Agreement
The Pretoria Agreement, signed in 2022, brought an end to a devastating two-year civil war that claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and displaced millions across northern Ethiopia.
However, several key provisions of the accord remain unresolved, including the disarmament of armed groups, governance arrangements in Tigray, and the long-term political status of the TPLF.
Both the federal government and Tigrayan leaders have repeatedly accused one another of violating the spirit of the agreement, contributing to growing mistrust and political instability.
Concerns Grow Over Renewed Conflict
Tigrayan officials argue that continued military pressure and actions by federal forces have heightened tensions in the region, while Ethiopian authorities maintain that security operations are necessary to preserve stability.
The latest violence has prompted renewed concern among regional observers, who warn that continued military confrontations could undermine the peace process and reverse hard-won gains achieved since the end of the war.
Humanitarian Fears Resurface in Tigray
Analysts say the clashes could signal the beginning of a wider conflict unless urgent diplomatic efforts succeed in restoring dialogue between the two sides.
A renewed war would risk deepening the humanitarian challenges facing Tigray, where communities are still recovering from years of conflict that devastated infrastructure, displaced millions of people and left many dependent on humanitarian assistance.
As tensions continue to rise, the renewed fighting underscores the fragility of Ethiopia’s peace process and the urgent need for sustained political engagement to prevent another large-scale humanitarian crisis in one of Africa’s most vulnerable regions.
