Hundreds flee fighting in northern Ethiopia: fears of civil war resurgence

Sun Sep 06 2026 05:47:49 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Hundreds of Tigray residents flee into Sudan amid renewed clashes, raising alarms of a potential civil war restart.

Hundreds of civilians from Ethiopia’s Tigray region crossed into Sudan after a weekend of intense clashes between the Tigray People’s Liberation Front and the national army. The fighting, marked by heavy artillery and drone strikes, is the most serious since the 2022 cease‑fire that ended the civil war. The TPLF has regained control over most of Tigray, while the federal government’s peace plan remains incomplete, sparking fears of a full‑scale conflict resuming. Both sides blame each other for the violence, and witnesses report explosions, shelling and air activity, forcing civilians and wounded fighters to flee across the border. The situation might also be influenced by Sudan’s own civil war, as external actors could support opposing Ethiopian factions.

Hundreds flee fighting in northern Ethiopia: fears of civil war resurgence

Rusted tank on a ridge in Tigray — Remnants of the 2020-2022 civil war still visible in Tigray, highlighting the area’s fragility.

Hundreds of Ethiopians from the Tigray region crossed into neighbouring Sudan after a weekend of intense clashes between the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and national armed forces.

Friday’s conflict unfolded in south‑west Tigray near the border, featuring heavy artillery and drone strikes – the most serious incursion since the 2022 peace deal ended the second civil war.

The federal government’s peace settlement has yet to be fully implemented, and the TPLF has regained control of most of the region, fueling fears that a full‑scale battle could resume.

Both sides blamed each other: the TPLF called the arrest an “open war”, while the state accused the TPLF’s “clique” of starting the fighting, calling for a peaceful resolution.

Witnesses reported explosions, shelling and aircraft activity on Saturday, forcing civilians and wounded fighters to flee across the border into Sudan.

West Tigray has been disputed between Tigray and the neighboring Amhara region since the war, adding a strategic dimension to the current fighting.

Sources also warned that the conflict could become a proxy battleground for the ongoing civil war in Sudan, as external actors may meddle on behalf of the sides.