The leader of Ethiopia’s Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), Debretsion Gebremichael, says the northern Tigray region remains at war despite recent advances by federal forces and the recapture of the regional capital, Mekelle. Speaking in a message broadcast on Tigrayan television on Wednesday, Debretsion said his forces were continuing to fight Ethiopian government troops and vowed that Tigray would “remain a graveyard for its enemies.” He also claimed that TPLF fighters had scored tactical victories in recent clashes, including fighting in northern and central Tigray last week. However, the claims about casualties among federal forces have not been independently verified.
The latest remarks come after Ethiopian federal forces advanced into Mekelle earlier this month, following the withdrawal of TPLF fighters. The development has raised fresh concerns about the fragile security situation in a region devastated by the 2020–2022 war between federal forces and Tigrayan fighters. Although a peace agreement signed in November 2022 formally ended that conflict, tensions over political authority, security arrangements and the implementation of the deal have continued to threaten stability. The renewed fighting has also raised fears of a wider regional confrontation. Analysts have warned that escalating tensions in Tigray could worsen relations between Ethiopia and neighbouring Eritrea, which fought alongside Ethiopian federal forces during the earlier conflict.
Meanwhile, violence has continued elsewhere in the country. A drone strike reportedly killed four people in southern Tigray earlier this week, while separate strikes in the Amhara region have targeted areas affected by fighting between government forces and Fano militants. The latest developments highlight the challenges facing Ethiopia as it struggles to contain multiple security crises and prevent renewed conflict in regions still recovering from years of violence.
