Fighting has erupted in Ethiopia's northern Tigray region between regional forces and the national army, with major clashes occurring this week and spreading to neighbouring areas. Residents fear a return to full-scale conflict after barely four years of uneasy peace following a devastating 2020-2022 war that killed approximately 600,000 people and brought the region to the brink of famine. The escalation represents the breakdown of the African Union-brokered Pretoria Agreement and threatens the fragile recovery efforts of Tigray's traumatised population.

The latest violence stems from more than six months of deteriorating relations centred on four unresolved issues. Two key disputes involve the fertile territory of western Tigray, which the TPLF lost to the neighbouring Amhara region during the previous war—hundreds of thousands of ethnic Tigrayans were displaced and remain in camps. Other contentious issues include the government's accusations that the TPLF has concealed weapons rather than fully disarming, and disagreements over governance structures in Tigray. The tensions escalated when Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed reduced the TPLF's influence in 2018, and fighting this week has already caused internet disruption, panic buying, and left residents unable to access money through digital banking.