Ethiopia’s restraint pledge faces test as fighting spreads in the north
Clashes across Tigray, Afar and Amhara are straining the 2022 Pretoria Agreement, while competing accounts of the military campaign remain unverified.
Ethiopia’s army chief, Berhanu Jula, says federal forces are responding with “wisdom and restraint” to renewed tensions in the north. The statement comes as fighting is reported across Tigray, Afar and Amhara, raising concerns about a wider conflict.
Seven armed groups have announced the Ethiopian Peoples’ Forces Alliance for Survival, which says it seeks to remove Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government. Fighting has been reported around Abala, North Wollo, Sama, Soqota and Raya Alamata.
Jula accused Eritrea of funding and supporting armed groups to weaken Ethiopia. Eritrea denied the allegation. The extent of any support is not established in the supplied reporting.
The army said it killed 272 Tigrayan fighters and wounded 260 in North Wollo. The Tigray People’s Liberation Front described the government action as a “full-scale offensive” involving infantry, mechanised units and drones. The competing accounts, including the casualty claims, have not been independently verified in the supplied material.
Internet access was reportedly cut across northern Ethiopia on Friday. The United Nations said it was alarmed by reports of drones being used against civilians.
The renewed fighting places the 2022 Pretoria Agreement, which ended a two-year war in Tigray, under severe strain. The escalation is prompting fears of a wider regional conflict, though its eventual scope remains uncertain.
