At a tense meeting, Ethiopian officials and Tigrayan leaders exchanged accusations of new offensives that threaten to reignite the conflict that officially ended in 2022.
Cabinet minister Getachew Reda warned that Tigrayan troops had taken control of national airports in Tigray and launched attacks in the neighboring Afar and Amhara regions. He alleged that drones had already struck towns in the area.
The Tigrayan authorities replied that their forces had been forced into a defensive war after reports of drone strikes. They said the Ethiopian federal government was violating the Pretoria peace agreement that ended hostilities in November.
Tensions mount as reports travel of a strike on Alamata that claimed at least fourteen people. The mayor of the town described the attacks as psychological warfare, claiming they were aimed at secondary schools and civilians.
International bodies, including the African Union and the US State Department, have called for an immediate de‑escalation and urged both sides to resume talks. The US condemned the TPLF’s large‑scale offensive as an “unwinnable fight.” The situation remains precarious, with fears that renewed hostilities could drive a population already near famine to further desperation.
