Photo: Collected
Seventeen people have been killed in overnight air strikes and shelling in the Tigray region of northern Ethiopia following clashes between government forces and rebels. The clashes, which broke out suddenly on Monday (5 October) between the central government and Tigray’s rebel forces, have created a major crisis. This is the region’s worst violence since the bloody civil war of 2020-2022, and it has heightened fears of a major regional war across the whole Horn of Africa.
News agency Reuters reported that the crisis has deepened further amid fears of neighbouring countries getting involved. Ethiopia has alleged that Sudan, Egypt and Eritrea are backing the rebels, although the countries have denied it. Because of this tension, Ethiopia and Eritrea severed diplomatic relations with each other last week.
To avert conflict, the leaders of Egypt, Eritrea, Sudan and Somalia have held a meeting and decided on joint military and intelligence coordination in the border regions. On the other hand, the United States has called on Asmara (Eritrea) and Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) to show restraint to avoid violence.
It may be noted that although a peace agreement was reached between Ethiopia and Eritrea in 2018, it has broken down anew in recent times. Ethiopia is desperate to secure access to the sea, over which Eritrea fears that Addis Ababa may perhaps seize the port of Assab by force. However, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has claimed that they want a sea link through peaceful talks and means.
