Fighting erupted again around the borders of the Tigray region (northern Ethiopia), which led to the collapse of the ceasefire declared last March, in a move that both sides of the conflict accuse of causing and re-igniting the war that erupted in November 2020 when the Tigray Liberation Forces seized control of the area. Military bases throughout the region.

The Tigray People's Liberation Front, which controls the region, remained dominant in the Ethiopian government for nearly three decades until Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed was appointed in 2018.

The party accuses Abiy of centralizing power at the expense of the regions, which the prime minister denies.

What happened to the peace talks?

Foreign countries have supported the peace talks led by the African Union envoy, former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo.

The two sides announced in June that they had appointed representatives to the talks.

The Tigray People's Liberation Front said two meetings were held abroad, which the government has not confirmed, and renewed fighting has dashed those hopes.


What happened during the ceasefire?

After a bloody fighting that claimed thousands of lives, destroyed infrastructure and displaced tens of thousands, both sides seemingly took advantage of the calm to regroup, and reports emerged from Tigray of forced conscription and imprisonment of fathers or wives if they did not join.

Residents around the areas where the fighting broke out also reported that the movements of militants and members of government forces increased in the days prior to the clashes.

The Ethiopian army vowed to take legal action against anyone who transmits "inappropriate information or rumours".

what's the problem?

The Tigray People's Liberation Front wanted to restore basic civilian services to the province before any serious peace talks could begin, a request that was supported by American and European envoys.

Banking and telephone services remain suspended in Tigray since the withdrawal of Ethiopian and Eritrean soldiers from most of the territory more than a year ago.

The ceasefire allowed large convoys to enter Tigray again in April.

Little aid has been allowed in since mid-2021, leading to what the United Nations has called a de facto blockade, and the government has denied blocking aid.

But even after April

,

relief teams struggled to distribute food because they could only bring in less than 20% of the fuel needed.

There is also a shortage of medicines, and malnutrition is exacerbated by the rise in the proportion of people in extreme poverty from 37% of the population in January to 47% in August.


What's Next?

To the south of Tigray, fighting is taking place between the Ethiopian army and allied forces from the Amhara region and the Tigray People's Liberation Front.

The government also carried out air strikes in Mekele, the capital of Tigray, and fighting also erupted in the west in an area contested by Tigray and Amhara.

There were also reports of cross-border shelling coming from Eritrea (in the north).

Before that, Eritrean forces fought alongside Ethiopian soldiers in front of the Tigray People's Liberation Front.

The front said it expected a strong push from the West.

The Ethiopian government is keen to retain control of the disputed area, in part because it prevents the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) from reaching Sudan, which the TPLF could use as a route to resupply weapons or recruits.

The area controlled by Tigray forces is currently surrounded on all sides by opposing forces.