Fighting widens across Ethiopia as Tigray clashes escalate

Key Points:

• Fighting escalated into full-scale war in Ethiopia's Tigray region, spreading to Afar and Amhara, with federal forces clashing against a coalition of armed groups including the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF).
• Seven armed movements, including the TPLF, formed the Ethiopian Peoples’ Forces Alliance for Survival, uniting diverse groups with historical conflicts to oppose Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government.
• The alliance, despite internal disputes, aims to remove Abiy’s regime, establish a transitional government, and hold constitutional dialogue, reflecting deep political realignments following the 2022 Pretoria peace agreement.
• Regional dynamics complicate the conflict, with tensions involving Eritrea, Sudan, and various armed factions, while international bodies like IGAD and the UN call for ceasefire and dialogue amid concerns over drone attacks and humanitarian displacement.
• The conflict risks becoming a broader regional proxy war, as Ethiopia’s domestic struggles intersect with rivalries in the Horn of Africa, raising fears of further destabilization beyond Ethiopia’s borders.