Archive · 23 Sep 2026
Tigray Leaders Declare New War as Fighting Erupts in Ethiopia
Leaders in Ethiopia’s Tigray region say a new war has begun.
They say their fighters are defending themselves against attacks by the federal government.
A senior government official says Tigrayan forces started a large attack instead.
Fighting was reported in Tigray and the nearby regions of Afar and Amhara.
Tigrayan forces were reportedly fighting alongside local armed groups and the Fano militia.
The two sides had signed a peace agreement in November 2022 after a very deadly war.
The new fighting has damaged that peace agreement.
Ethiopian Airlines stopped flights to the region.
Other countries and the African Union are worried that the conflict could spread.
Tigray’s leaders said their forces had entered a defensive war against Ethiopia’s federal government.
A senior Ethiopian official accused Tigrayan forces of launching a major offensive in Tigray, Afar, and Amhara.
Tigrayan forces reportedly seized federally controlled airports and fought alongside armed groups in Afar and Amhara.
The renewed fighting shattered the Pretoria Agreement, which ended the 2020–2022 Tigray war.
Ethiopian Airlines suspended flights to the region amid fears of a wider conflict.
- Who
- The Tigray People’s Liberation Front-led regional administration, Ethiopia’s federal government, and allied armed groups including Fano.
- What
- Fighting broke out after Tigray’s leaders declared that their forces had entered a new, defensive war with the federal government.
- When
- The developments were reported on September 23, after months of rising tensions and a newly announced alliance.
- Where
- In Ethiopia’s Tigray region and the neighboring regions of Afar and Amhara.
- Why
- Tigray’s leaders said they were responding to federal aggression, while the federal government accused the TPLF of launching an offensive and violating the peace agreement.
Tigray’s Account
Federal Government’s Account
Responsibility for the fighting
Tigray’s Account
Tigray’s regional administration said the federal government had intensified an invasion and that Tigrayan forces entered a defensive war.
Federal Government’s Account
A senior Ethiopian official and adviser to Abiy Ahmed described the events as a major or all-out Tigrayan offensive against government positions.
Peace agreement
Tigray’s Account
Tigray’s leaders said they were responding to federal actions after months of increasing tensions.
Federal Government’s Account
The federal government accused the Tigray People’s Liberation Front of violating the Pretoria Agreement and seeking to create chaos.
External support
Tigray’s Account
The Tigray People’s Liberation Front formed an alliance with six armed groups, including Fano, according to the reports.
Federal Government’s Account
An Ethiopian government spokesperson said the alliance had received financial backing from Eritrea, which denied supporting Ethiopian armed groups.
- Main parties
- The Tigray People’s Liberation Front-led regional administration and Ethiopia’s federal government.
- Reported fighting areas
- Tigray, Afar, and Amhara.
- Peace agreement
- The Pretoria Agreement was signed in November 2022 after the 2020–2022 Tigray war.
- New alliance
- The Tigray People’s Liberation Front formed an alliance with six other armed groups aimed at overthrowing Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government.
- Reported allied forces
- Sources said Tigrayan forces fought alongside a local armed group in Afar and the Fano militia in Amhara.
- Transportation impact
- Ethiopian Airlines suspended flights to the region.
- External-support allegation
- An Ethiopian government spokesperson said alliance members had received financial backing from Eritrea; Eritrea has denied supporting Ethiopian armed groups.