Hundreds of Ethiopians Flee to Sudan After Tigray Clashes Reignite Over Weekend
- Intense fighting broke out Saturday in Shererina, western Tigray, in one of the most serious clashes since Ethiopia's civil war ended in 2022
- A TPLF member confirmed heavy artillery and drones were used as violence stretched into Sunday, forcing civilians and wounded fighters across the border
- Both the TPLF and the federal government blamed each other, with a minister warning of 'worse consequences' if the fighting continued
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Hundreds of Ethiopians from the Tigray region have crossed into Sudan after fierce fighting broke out between Tigrayan regional forces and the Ethiopian federal army on Saturday, in what observers are calling the most serious outbreak of violence since the 2022 peace deal ended the country's civil war.
The clashes began on Saturday morning in Shererina, a small locality in western Tigray near the Sudanese border.
Source: Getty Images
A member of the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) said the fighting, which involved heavy artillery and drones, continued through Sunday.
According to BBC, Sudanese medical and local sources told the AFP news agency that civilians and wounded fighters had fled across the border into Sudan, while witnesses described hearing explosions, sustained gunfire, and aircraft overhead throughout Saturday.
Each Side Blames the Other
The TPLF-led regional administration accused the federal government of launching what it described as "open war" in the Shererina area, saying the offensive violated the peace agreement and was aimed at "subjugating and dividing" the people of Tigray.
The federal government and army had not issued an official statement, but minister Abraham Belay confirmed the clashes had taken place.
In a social media post, he blamed the "TPLF clique" for starting the fighting and warned of "worse consequences" should the conflict persist. He also called for dialogue. "Today, it is better to reach out for peace before destruction," he wrote.
The death toll from the weekend's fighting remained unclear.
Why the Situation Is Fragile
The two-year civil war between the TPLF and Ethiopia's federal government ended in November 2022 through an African Union-brokered peace agreement, but the deal has not been fully put into practice. The TPLF has since retaken control of Tigray after ousting the interim administration that was set up as part of the settlement.
Shererina sits in western Tigray, a zone that has remained disputed between the Tigray and Amhara regions since the civil war, adding to its strategic sensitivity.
There are also growing concerns that the latest confrontation could become entangled with the ongoing civil war in Sudan, with accusations that the warring Sudanese factions are backing opposing sides in Ethiopia.
US announces targeted visa restrictions
Legit.ng earlier reported that the United States has introduced new visa restrictions aimed at individuals accused of undermining peace in Ethiopia. The move, announced by the U.S. State Department on June 18, focuses on hardliners within the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and their immediate family members.
According to the State Department, "Rising tensions between Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) hardliners and the Ethiopian government have threatened to reignite the conflict in northern Ethiopia and undermine peace and security across the entire region."
Source: Legit.ng
