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Hundreds of Ethiopians have reportedly fled into neighbouring Sudan after heavy fighting erupted between regional forces and the Ethiopian army in Tigray, raising fears of a return to full-scale conflict nearly four years after a peace deal ended the region’s devastating civil war.
The clashes broke out on Saturday in Shererina, near the Sudanese border, and continued into Sunday, with witnesses reporting heavy artillery fire, drone strikes and sustained gunfire, BBC reports.
A member of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) said the fighting involved heavy weapons, while Sudanese medical and local sources said civilians and wounded fighters crossed the border seeking safety.
The latest violence marks one of the most serious confrontations since the African Union-brokered peace agreement signed in 2022 ended the two-year war between the TPLF and Ethiopia’s federal government, a conflict that claimed hundreds of thousands of lives.
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Tensions have remained high as key provisions of the peace agreement are yet to be fully implemented.
The TPLF has since regained control of Tigray after removing the interim administration established under the peace process.
Both sides blamed each other for the latest fighting.
The TPLF-led regional administration accused the federal government of launching an “open war” in Shererina, describing the offensive as a violation of the peace agreement aimed at weakening and dividing the people of Tigray.
Although Ethiopia’s federal government and military have not issued a formal statement, government minister Abraham Belay confirmed that clashes had taken place.
In a social media post, Belay accused the “TPLF clique” of provoking the fighting and warned that continued hostilities would have “worse consequences.” He nevertheless appealed for dialogue, saying disputes should be resolved through peaceful negotiations rather than armed conflict.
The number of casualties has not been confirmed.
The renewed violence has also heightened concerns that the conflict could become entangled with the ongoing civil war in Sudan, amid allegations that rival Sudanese factions are supporting opposing sides in Ethiopia.
Shererina lies in the strategically important western Tigray area, a territory disputed by the Tigray and Amhara regions since the civil war, making it a persistent flashpoint despite the 2022 peace accord.
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