Ethiopia's Tigray Rebels Seize Airports, Clash With Federal Forces in Renewed Conflict

ADDIS ABABA: The embers of a devastating civil war have reignited in the Horn of Africa, as Tigrayan rebels in northern Ethiopia seized control of airports and clashed with federal troops in neighbouring regions on Wednesday, multiple sources confirmed. The long-simmering tensions between the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) and the central government have spilled into open conflict once again.

This renewed fighting evokes the tragic civil war of 2020-2022, a brutal chapter that, according to African Union estimates, claimed the lives of some 600,000 people. The memory of that bloodshed weighs heavily on the region as fears of a return to full-scale war now materialize.

Rebels Advance on Multiple Fronts

The TPLF, which recently forged an alliance with other armed groups across the vast nation, launched an overnight attack on the town of Abala, as confirmed by the regional government in Afar. This town lies in the mountain ranges along the border with Tigray. Humanitarian workers in Afar reported intense fighting between TPLF and federal forces in Abala and the town of Erebti, located approximately 100 kilometres (60 miles) further into the region.

One humanitarian worker, bracing for an expanding crisis, said,

We are expecting it to expand. We just sent a truck with food to help the people displaced.

A foreign security source indicated that the TPLF now controls Abala, while a former TPLF senior official asserted the rebels hold several towns in the region, a claim that could not be independently verified. The official described federal forces as fast-retreating.

Conflict monitors at ACLED also reported that Tigrayan forces attacked positions in the Amhara region, operating alongside a local insurgent group known as the Fano, part of the new alliance of armed groups.

Today's episode will cause worry that the other agents in the alliance are about to act in their areas across the Ethiopian state,

ACLED noted in a briefing, though it cautioned that several of these groups have limited capabilities.

Airports Seized and Flights Suspended

Tigrayan forces have taken control of the airports in the regional cities of Mekelle, Shire, and Axum, capturing the small number of federal police guarding them, according to TPLF vice president Amanuel Assefa. Ethiopian Airlines has subsequently suspended flights to all three destinations.

An employee at Alula Aba Nega Airport in Mekelle recounted the sudden takeover:

While we were on our way to the airport for work, our supervisor called the driver and told him that the airport had been taken over by Tigray forces. Since there were no flights, he told us to return home.

Is This the Beginning of a New War?

In a statement on Facebook, the Tigray regional government framed its actions as a response to intensive bombardments by federal forces on Tuesday, involving aircraft, drones, and artillery, a claim that could not be independently verified.

TPLF vice president Amanuel Assefa delivered a stark warning:

It is the beginning of the war. Ground forces attacked us from southern Tigray, from eastern Tigray, so [Tigray Defence Forces] have been ordered to defend... I do not see the possibility of a de-escalation now.

The African Union, headquartered in Ethiopia's capital, has called for an immediate de-escalation of hostilities.

A Nation Besieged by Multiple Insurgencies

Ethiopia is grappling with multiple insurgencies, including in its most populous regions, Oromia and Amhara. The largest groups have united under a new Alliance for Survival, announced just this weekend. Adding to the complex web of conflict, Ethiopian authorities have also accused the TPLF of allying with neighbouring Eritrea, an accusation the rebels deny.

The TPLF, which ruled all of Ethiopia from 1991 to 2018 before being sidelined by the rise of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, now finds itself at the heart of another potential catastrophe. The federal government in Addis Ababa, which has yet to comment on the clashes, retains significant military advantages, having ramped up production of military drones since the last conflict. The world watches with bated breath as the spectre of a return to full-scale war looms over the Horn of Africa.