Pope Leo XIV has called on all sides in Ethiopia’s renewed Tigray conflict to choose dialogue, as fighting spreads across Tigray and neighboring Afar and Amhara regions. Speaking after his general audience on Wednesday, the pope said he was following the situation with “deep concern” and urged the international community to provide timely humanitarian assistance to communities affected by the violence.
The renewed fighting between Ethiopian federal forces and fighters linked to the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) has intensified since September 22, threatening the Pretoria peace agreement that ended the 2020–2022 Tigray war. The conflict has also disrupted communications and displaced civilians in affected areas. Pro-government forces have reported capturing Alamata in southern Tigray, a strategically located town about 120 kilometres south of the regional capital, Mekelle. Government forces are reportedly seeking to advance northwards, while clashes have also been reported in parts of Afar and Amhara.
The humanitarian toll is rising. Medical workers at Ayder Referral Hospital in Mekelle told the media that 44 critically injured civilians, including 33 children, had been treated after fighting around Alamata and Maychew. Reports from hospital sources on Thursday put the civilian death toll around Alamata at at least 52 over three days, although independent verification remains difficult because communications in the region have been disrupted. The latest escalation follows years of unresolved tensions between Addis Ababa and Tigray’s political leadership. The 2022 Pretoria agreement halted the previous war but left several disputes unresolved, while both sides have since accused each other of violating the accord. Pope Leo said armed conflict only deepens destruction and resentment, urging the parties to pursue negotiations and warning of the humanitarian consequences of another prolonged war.
