The Tigray region returns to fighting and a rebel alliance threatens the government of Ethiopia

New fighting has erupted in the Tigray region of northern Ethiopia, between forces linked to the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) and the government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, rekindling a conflict that left thousands dead and caused a severe humanitarian crisis between 2020 and 2022.

The TPLF announced on September 23 that it had launched a ''defensive war'' in response to what it described as an escalation of military operations by the Ethiopian government. According to the group, federal forces have used airstrikes, drones, and ground operations against positions in the region.

The escalation comes after the TPLF announced on September 20 a alliance with six other armed groups with the declared aim of overthrowing Ahmed's government. The coalition brings together organizations linked to different ethnic groups in Ethiopia, reflecting the deep political and territorial divisions that persist in the country.

Among the new allies is the ''Fano National Movement,'' composed mainly of members of the Amhara ethnic group. Fano had supported federal forces during the Tigray war but rose against the government in 2023. Federal forces have employed heavy weaponry against Fano fighters in Lalibela, a city internationally known for its rock-hewn churches built between the 12th and 13th centuries.

The new offensive has also begun to affect communications and transportation in the region. Ethiopian Airlines announced on September 23 the suspension of its flights to Mekelle, the capital of Tigray, as well as to the cities of Shire and Axum, due to the security situation.

Getachew Reda, an advisor to Ahmed, stated on the same day that the TPLF had taken control of several airports in the region. This information came amid conflicting reports about the advance of government forces and armed groups.

From New York, during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly, Ethiopian President Taye Atske-Selassie Amde accused foreign actors of interfering in the country's internal affairs and asserted that Ethiopia had demonstrated ''immense restraint.'' The leader called for forces that generate violence to respect the right of the peoples of the Horn of Africa to live in peace and prosperity.

The new confrontation threatens to jeopardize the agreement reached in November 2022, when the Ethiopian government and the TPLF signed the Pretoria Agreement, which established a permanent cessation of hostilities after two years of war. That conflict left thousands dead and hundreds of thousands at risk of starvation.

The 2020 war began after the federal government launched a military operation against Tigray. At that time, Ahmed had received international recognition after winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019 for his efforts to achieve peace with Eritrea.

The conflict also involved accusations regarding the involvement of Eritrean forces, although Eritrea denied sending troops across the border to support the Ethiopian government.

The current crisis also has deep political roots. The TPLF was for decades one of the main power forces in Ethiopia. Tigrayan leader Meles Zenawi became prime minister in 1995 and remained in office until his death in 2012.

Subsequently, the TPLF lost influence and Ahmed took leadership of the ruling coalition in 2018. He later created his own party, the Prosperity Party, and achieved a landslide electoral victory in 2021. Although under his government the Ethiopian economy continued to grow, tensions among different ethnic groups deepened.

The alliance of seven armed factions now represents a new challenge for Ahmed and increases the risk of a expansion of the conflict beyond Tigray, in a country marked by strong ethnic divisions and a recent history of internal clashes.