Full-scale civil war flares up again in Ethiopia after several years of hiatus. The entire region could be destabilized

A representative of one of the armed groups in the north of the country told Reuters that drones launched by the armed opposition might have exploded in the capital. However, Ethiopian authorities have not reported on the causes of the explosions, their exact locations, or any potential casualties or damage.

Previously, authorities had imposed a ban on all drone flights over Addis Ababa.

The explosions occurred amid a new escalation of the armed conflict in northern Ethiopia. About a week ago, fighting resumed in the Tigray region and neighboring areas between the Ethiopian army and local armed groups.

In August, seven armed groups, including the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), which controls the Tigray region, and the Amhara Fano militia, formed an alliance. They declared their intention to overthrow the current central government.

The parties describe the start of the new hostilities differently. The Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) claims it was forced to respond to an offensive by government forces and their drone attacks. The Ethiopian government, in turn, states that Tigrayan forces initiated the hostilities by seizing airports in the region.

Thus, both sides accuse each other of violating the 2022 peace agreement, which ended the two-year war in Tigray. According to the African Union, approximately 600,000 people died as a result of that war.

According to available information, the Ethiopian army and pro-government armed groups are now advancing towards Mekelle, the capital of Tigray. A medic from the city of Alamata in the south of the region told the BBC that 52 civilians died there in three days of fighting.

Fighting is also ongoing in the neighboring Afar region. The main land routes from Ethiopia to Djibouti and its ports pass through it. According to an AFP source from a humanitarian organization, tens of thousands of people in Afar have been forced to flee their homes.

In the west of the country, in the Amhara region, the Ethiopian army is fighting the Fano group near the city of Lalibela. It is known for its rock-hewn churches, included in the UNESCO World Heritage list. Due to the hostilities, foreign tourists have been unable to leave Lalibela for over a week.

Ethiopia also accuses neighboring Eritrea of supporting the northern armed groups. A commander of one of the pro-government formations told the BBC that Eritrean soldiers are participating in the fighting in Tigray.

Eritrean Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel rejected these accusations. He, in turn, stated that the Ethiopian government uses neighboring countries as scapegoats to divert attention from internal conflicts. In the previous Tigray war, Eritrea acted as an ally of Ethiopia and fought against the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF).

After this, relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea deteriorated again, partly due to statements by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed about the need for his country to gain its own access to the sea.

Ethiopia lost direct access to the sea after Eritrea gained independence in 1993. Abiy Ahmed states that a seaport is essential for Ethiopia and has previously hinted at the possibility of forcibly establishing control over the Eritrean port of Assab, located approximately 60 kilometers from the border.

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