Ethiopia's Tigray Tensions Rise as Opposition Accuses Government of Renewing Conflict

Ethiopian opposition leaders have charged Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government with policies that could reignite fighting in the Tigray region, warning that the fragile peace established by the November 2022 Pretoria Agreement is under threat. The accusations come amid preparations for national elections that major opposition parties are boycotting over concerns about political freedoms and electoral fairness.

Analysts note that Tigray remains in a “grey zone” between war and peace. The federal government extended the mandate of the Tigray Interim Regional Administration (TIRA) for a year in April 2026 without consulting the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), prompting the TPLF to appoint its own regional parliament and president. This dual claim to authority, alongside renewed recruitment by the Tigray Defense Forces and intermittent clashes involving the Ethiopian National Defense Forces, raises the risk of a broader escalation that could draw in neighboring Sudan, Eritrea and other regional actors. International observers, including Germany and the EU, have been urged to commit to crisis‑prevention measures in the volatile Red Sea region.