A rebel coalition captured territory across northern Ethiopia's Tigray region in September, pushing violence beyond the local area as explosions were subsequently reported in Addis Ababa. The federal government has largely contained the clashes but accuses Eritrea of backing the insurgents seeking to overthrow the administration. Foreign alliances have deepened this confrontation, aligning the United Arab Emirates with Ethiopia while Egypt, Sudan, and Saudi Arabia support Eritrea. This latest friction follows the brutal 2020 to 2022 civil war that resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths and displaced millions.
Key points
The resurgence of fighting threatens to draw Eritrea into a broader regional confrontatio…: The resurgence of fighting threatens to draw Eritrea into a broader regional confrontation with Ethiopia.
Competing foreign alliances, including the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, are intensifyi…: Competing foreign alliances, including the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, are intensifying the standoff around Tigray.
The northern state holds roughly 7.5 million people alongside strategically valuable gold…: The northern state holds roughly 7.5 million people alongside strategically valuable gold and mineral deposits.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
Fighting has continued across the Tigray region of northern Ethiopia, after a coalition of rebel groups seized territory in September.
The government, which the insurgents have vowed to overthrow, has managed to contain much of the fighting, although explosions were heard in Addis Ababa in October.
Tigray is no stranger to conflict. Amid accusations of war crimes and genocide, hundreds of thousands of people were killed and millions more displaced during the civil war from 2020-22.
But now there are fears that the current conflict could escalate into a war between Ethiopia and neighbouring Eritrea, which it accuses of backing the rebels. The two countries severed relations in October.
The Red Sea region is already beset with war across Sudan, Yemen and Somalia.
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Ethiopia has an ally in the UAE, while Eritrea can look to Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Sudan for support.
Here’s everything you need to know about Tigray, past conflicts, and the role other countries…
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