Armed Clashes and Drone Strikes Return to Ethiopia's Tigray Region

Tensions have escalated sharply in Ethiopia's northern Tigray region. On 11 July, authorities aligned with the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) accused the federal government of preparing for war and declared that the November 2022 Pretoria Peace Agreement had "collapsed." Armed clashes, drone strikes and forced civilian conscription have been reported since June.

Key facts

• On 11 July, TPLF-aligned authorities said the November 2022 Pretoria Peace Agreement had collapsed
• A federal drone strike hit military transport vehicles near Sheraro on 5 June, causing several casualties
• Federal and Tigrayan forces clashed in western Tigray near the Sudanese border on 1 August
• The United States imposed visa restrictions in June on individuals accused of undermining the peace process
• No change to Ethiopia's visa or entry rules for ordinary travellers is reported

What triggered the standoff?

The confrontation follows the TPLF's restoration of Tigray's pre-war regional council and the installation of party chairman Debretsion Gebremichael as regional president. That created a parallel administration challenging the federally recognised Tigray Interim Administration.

The TPLF argued that the government in Addis Ababa had failed to deliver key parts of the peace deal, including the return of displaced populations and disputed territories, the normalisation of public services and an agreed postwar political order. Federal authorities and international partners, for their part, accused the TPLF of violating the agreement through parallel institutions and unilateral military mobilization.

Where has the violence taken place?

On 5 June, a federal government drone strike targeted military transport vehicles near Sheraro in northwestern Tigray, causing several casualties. No one claimed responsibility for the strike.

Fighting broke out again on 1 August in western Tigray close to the Sudanese border. The TPLF accused federal forces of launching a heavy-artillery offensive, while a federal minister blamed the TPLF for provoking the clashes. On 10 August, the TPLF further accused the federal government of carrying out drone strikes at Merewa in southern Tigray that caused casualties among Tigrayan forces.

What is happening with conscription?

A draft Tigray proclamation proposed compulsory mobilization, expanded security powers, penalties for obstructing recruitment and a centralised command structure headed by the regional president. Human Rights Watch reported that Tigrayan authorities had been forcibly recruiting civilians since at least April, including children as young as 15, through house-to-house searches and seizures at workplaces. The TPLF denied the allegations.

The European Union expressed concern about what it described as unilateral military conscription in Tigray and called for urgent talks on implementing the 2022 agreement. Thousands of demonstrators also rallied in Addis Ababa on 18 July against the forced mobilization in Tigray.

What international measures have been taken?

The United States imposed visa restrictions in June on individuals accused of undermining the peace process, following renewed clashes between Tigrayan and federal forces. The source gives no details on who is covered or how the restrictions are applied.

What this means for travellers

The source reports no change to Ethiopia's visa requirements, entry rules or passport rules. The US measure is directed at individuals accused of undermining the peace process, not at travellers generally.

The reported incidents are concentrated in northwestern Tigray near Sheraro, western Tigray near the Sudanese border and southern Tigray at Merewa. The assessment describes two opposing administrations with their own armed forces, compulsory mobilization and the collapse of the peace agreement as signs that the dispute is moving towards organised military confrontation, with a risk of wider regional conflict if foreign powers provide funding, training or arms.

No date has been announced for talks on implementing the Pretoria agreement. The European Union has called for urgent negotiations, and the source outlines no further steps or deadlines.