Renewed fighting in Ethiopia’s Tigray region is raising fears of a deepening crisis, according to UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk, who on Tuesday appealed to all parties to step back from escalating hostilities. The clashes, intensifying since January 26th near the Amhara border, involve the Ethiopian National Defence Forces (ENDF) and the Tigray Security Forces (TSF).
Türk reported that both sides have employed drones, artillery, and other powerful weaponry. He expressed concern over reports of arrests by both the TSF and ENDF targeting individuals perceived to be affiliated with the opposing side, calling for an immediate cessation of such actions. “Civilians are once again caught between escalating tensions,” Türk stated, emphasizing the precarious human rights and humanitarian situation in the region.
The current escalation follows a period of conflict in Tigray from 2020 to 2022 between Government troops and separatist Tigray forces, a conflict in which Eritrean soldiers reportedly participated. That earlier conflict resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and displaced over two million civilians, one million of whom remain internally displaced as of February 2026.
Fighting is also ongoing in Tigray’s south and southeast, near the Afar border, between the TSF and a rival faction known as the “Tigray Peace Forces.” The situation remains highly volatile, with the UN expressing fears of further deterioration.
The recent clashes occur despite the Pretoria Agreement reached in November 2022, which formally established a cessation of hostilities and a framework for systematic, verifiable disarmament. A second agreement, implementing the peace deal, was signed shortly after. While the federal authority in the Tigray Region has been reestablished with the formation of an Interim Regional Administration in March 2023, the status of Tigray Region’s Western Zone remains disputed.
The conflict has involved a range of actors, including the Ethiopian Army, the Eritrean Army, the Tigray Defense Forces, and, at various times, the Oromo Liberation Army and Amhara Special Forces. The involvement of Eritrean forces has been a recurring point of contention.
