Ethiopia Conflict Escalates as Ties With Eritrea Collapse

Explosions were heard overnight in Addis Ababa on Thursday, according to three diplomatic sources cited by Reuters, as fighting between Ethiopia’s federal forces and a coalition of armed opposition groups spreads across the north. The blasts followed a ban on drone flights in the capital and surrounding areas. A source linked to the Ethiopian Peoples’ Forces Alliance for Survival said the alliance had carried out several drone strikes, including attacks on the military headquarters. The alliance includes seven armed groups, among them the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), and says it aims to remove Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government. Fighting has intensified in Tigray and neighbouring Afar. Al Jazeera reported that federal forces had advanced north from Amhara to within about 40 kilometres of Mekelle, Tigray’s regional capital. The TPLF had withdrawn fighters to new positions, some leaders had left the city, and thousands of civilians had fled amid fears of clashes. Electricity and internet services in the region were cut. The developments followed a major Tigrayan offensive last week, described by the TPLF as a “defensive war” against federal drone and artillery strikes; government forces and allied fighters then launched a counteroffensive. In Afar, government forces said they had retaken Erebti and Abaala, though the claim was unconfirmed and reporting indicated fighting for the towns was ongoing. More than 80,000 Afar residents were reported trapped in the area, with their situation uncertain. Local mediation efforts to secure withdrawals had failed. The article warns that fighting near Ethiopia’s borders with Eritrea and Sudan could widen the conflict into a regional war, while disruption to routes between Ethiopia and Djibouti could threaten food security. Ethiopia’s federal government has accused neighbouring states of supporting the opposition coalition, allegations those states deny. Afar deputy governor Ahmed Hussein accused Eritrea of involvement and called on it to withdraw from Afar and ensure the safety of civilians in opposition-controlled areas.

Explosions were heard overnight in Addis Ababa, including near Ethiopia’s military headquarters in the west and in a southern neighbourhood, according to residents and diplomatic sources. The blasts followed an indefinite ban on drone flights over the capital and came amid renewed fighting in northern Ethiopia. A source linked to opposition fighters told Reuters that the group was responsible for what it described as drone strikes, but Ethiopian authorities had not confirmed the cause, locations, damage or casualties. Government offices and police had not responded to BBC requests for comment. The wider conflict began after months of tension between the federal government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). Both sides accuse the other of breaching the 2022 agreement that ended a two-year civil war, estimated by an African Union mediator to have killed 600,000 people. Seven armed movements, including the TPLF and the Amhara militia Fano, recently formed an alliance seeking to remove the government. Each side disputes who initiated the latest fighting. Reporting from the conflict zone is difficult: the BBC cannot report from Tigray, and internet and telecoms access there have been cut. Fighting is reported in Tigray, Afar and Amhara; a medic cited 52 civilian deaths in Alamata over three days, while a humanitarian source said tens of thousands had fled Afar. Ethiopia accused Eritrea of supporting the armed groups, and said it was closing its embassy there and expelling 10 diplomats. Eritrea denied backing the alliance, with Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel accusing Ethiopia’s ruling party of blaming neighbours for domestic problems. Relations have worsened since Ethiopia’s secession-era loss of Red Sea ports; Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has argued for access to the sea and has hinted at taking Assab by force. The drone ban, announced by the National Intelligence and Security Service, was presented as a measure to protect leaders, infrastructure and public events.

Ethiopia and Eritrea have severed diplomatic relations following Ethiopia’s accusation that Eritrea is involved in renewed fighting in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region. Ethiopia announced it was closing its embassy in Eritrea, citing what it called Eritrea’s “direct and indirect acts of hostility and belligerence.” It also declared ten Eritrean diplomats persona non grata and ordered them to leave within 48 hours, alleging their activities posed a threat to national security. Eritrea rejected the allegations and called Ethiopia’s action “absurd.” It said the expulsions had effectively closed its embassy in Addis Ababa and that it would reciprocate by ending all diplomatic ties. The rupture follows an earlier period of rapprochement: Ethiopia’s embassy in Eritrea reopened in 2018, and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed later received the Nobel Peace Prize. The article also reports that the diplomatic measures came after accounts of an overnight explosion at Ethiopian military headquarters in Addis Ababa. AFP, citing diplomatic and security sources, reported one blast between midnight and 1 a.m.; the sources did not establish its cause, responsibility, or whether there were casualties. AP, citing security sources, reported three blasts, but it remained unclear whether they were an attack or part of training exercises. The reports followed a government ban on drone use in the capital. Eritrea has denied supporting the Alliance for Survival, an armed coalition that includes the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, Amhara Fano National Movement, and Oromo Liberation Army. The article says hundreds have been killed or wounded since heavy fighting resumed the previous week, with clashes on several fronts. The United Nations has called for de-escalation and talks between the Ethiopian government and the newly formed alliance.

Four years after the 2022 Pretoria Peace Agreement formally ended the devastating Tigray war, fighting has escalated again in northern Ethiopia. The renewed conflict comes as several armed groups—including former adversaries—have announced an alliance aimed at bringing down Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s federal government. Eritrea, though not formally part of the alliance, is believed to be supporting the rebels. Analysts say the coalition’s coordination is significant, but its members’ differing goals and constituencies could eventually weaken it. The fighting is expected to remain concentrated around Tigray, Amhara, and Afar rather than spreading nationwide. DW journalist Negash Mohammed attributes the peace deal’s collapse partly to the exclusion of important actors from negotiations: Eritrea, Amhara militias known as Fano, and TPLF hardliners who regarded the agreement as a military defeat. Tensions worsened when the federal government tried to forcibly disarm Fano rather than address its grievances. Control Risks analyst Patricia Rodrigues also points to a lack of sustained international engagement after 2022. Although the TPLF surrendered heavy weapons, both sides were able to rearm and recruit as global attention moved elsewhere. The recent lifting of US sanctions may also have reduced Western leverage to encourage negotiations. Civilians are again bearing the consequences. People are fleeing, adding to a population of internally displaced people who have not returned home since the previous war. There are reports of drone strikes affecting civilian areas and armed groups placing military equipment in schools and clinics. Communications and electricity have been disrupted, and flights to several cities have been suspended. The prospects for mediation appear limited. A UN envoy has been tasked with supporting dialogue among the African Union, regional powers, and Egypt, but Mohammed and Rodrigues doubt mediation will succeed soon. They say progress depends on combatants recognizing that violence will not achieve their aims, and expect intense but geographically contained fighting to continue.

Fighting has intensified in northern Ethiopia as federal forces advance into Tigray, reportedly taking control of the strategic town of Alamata and moving north. Hospital sources told the BBC that at least 52 civilians were killed during three days of fighting around the town. Heavy artillery reportedly struck residential areas and a market. Hospitals supported by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) have treated more than 700 wounded people across Tigray, according to the article. Clashes have also been reported near Korem, roughly 100 kilometres south of Mekelle, Tigray’s capital. The renewed violence follows months of tensions between Ethiopia’s federal government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). Both sides accuse the other of breaching the 2022 peace agreement that ended the previous war. The fighting is not confined to Tigray: clashes have also been reported in the neighbouring regions of Afar and Amhara. Communications disruptions are limiting independent verification of claims about developments on the battlefield. The escalation has revived concerns that Ethiopia could face a wider conflict. The article recalls the devastating impact of the previous Tigray war, which killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced large numbers. It does not provide further detail about the latest military claims or identify the sources of reports from areas where communications are disrupted.

The provided text is a short France 24 programme introduction for an edition of “Eye on Africa,” not a full report. It says Ethiopia and Eritrea have broken diplomatic ties, with each country accusing the other of stoking internal conflicts. No further details are given about the timing, causes, officials involved, or consequences of the rupture, so the text does not establish more than the mutual accusations and the severing of diplomatic relations. The programme preview also mentions two other subjects. Nigeria is rolling out a digital postcode system intended to cover every building. The introduction provides no information about how the system will work or when it will be completed. In addition, the presenter says they speak with one of the co-founders of the Rural Women’s Assembly, which is being recognised for its work challenging power systems. The text does not specify the nature of that recognition or give the co-founder’s name. The item is attributed to Georja Calvin-Smith, Antonia Cimini, Aurore Bayoud, Tom Canetti, and Sam Olukoya. The supplied page text ends with a “Page not found” notice, suggesting that the full article or programme content is unavailable in the provided material. Accordingly, the summary is limited to the topics and claims stated in the introduction and does not add background or details absent from the source.