By Horn Africa News
The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) has sounded the alarm over what it claims is a calculated move by the Ethiopian federal government to ignite a new war in the Tigray region, threatening to plunge the already fragile state back into conflict.
The accusations come amid mounting tensions between the TPLF and the federally installed Tigray Interim Administration. The TPLF, once the dominant political force in Ethiopia, alleged in a statement issued Monday that the federal government is actively arming proxy groups within the state to intimidate Tigrayan officials and derail efforts toward lasting peace.
“The Ethiopian government is systematically preparing for another cycle of bloodshed in Tigray,” the TPLF said, calling the alleged actions a violation of the Pretoria Agreement — a peace accord signed in November 2022 to end two years of devastating conflict.
The war in Tigray, which erupted in November 2020 and officially ended in late 2022, claimed the lives of an estimated 600,000 people, most of them civilians, according to former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, who serves as the African Union’s chief peace envoy.
Despite the ceasefire, the region has remained on edge, with deep political rifts and humanitarian challenges persisting. The latest tensions threaten to undo fragile gains, as disputes between the Tigray Defence Force (TDF) — the armed wing of the TPLF — and the interim government installed by Addis Ababa widen.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed addressed the House of People’s Representatives last week, warning of renewed instability and urging religious leaders to intervene in a bid to prevent further escalation.
However, the TPLF insists that federal interference is part of a broader campaign to suppress Tigrayan self-governance and silence opposition voices.
“We call on the international community to take these developments seriously,” the TPLF stated. “The federal government’s actions are reckless and fundamentally undermine the peace process.”
With tensions escalating, observers fear that Ethiopia may be on the brink of another catastrophic conflict — one that could once again engulf Tigray and destabilize the Horn of Africa.
