Ethiopia and Tigray Accuse Each Other as Fighting Escalates

September 23, 2026

The Human Frontline

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Fighting has erupted between Ethiopian federal forces and forces aligned with the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), raising fears that Ethiopia’s northern conflict could once again develop into a full-scale war. Tigrayan authorities say they are responding to what they describe as an invasion by federal forces. Ethiopia’s government, meanwhile, has accused Tigrayan forces of launching an offensive against government positions.

The latest clashes have been reported in Tigray and neighbouring Afar, including around Abala and Erebti. Tigrayan forces have also taken control of Mekelle airport, according to multiple reports. Ethiopian Airlines has suspended flights to three airports in Tigray. The renewed fighting comes after months of growing tensions and follows the formation of a new alliance of seven Ethiopian armed groups, including the TPLF, aimed at challenging Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government.

The developments threaten the fragile peace established by the 2022 agreement that ended the devastating 2020–2022 Tigray war. That conflict caused massive civilian suffering and displacement and any sustained return to fighting could create new humanitarian pressures across northern Ethiopia. For now, the competing accounts over who initiated the latest offensive remain central to the unfolding crisis. What is clear is that fighting has resumed in several areas and that fears of a wider conflict are growing.

The Human Frontline is monitoring developments and the humanitarian consequences as the situation unfolds.