Violence flares again in Ethiopia’s war with Tigray

Residents of Adi Daero, Tigray, heard what sounded like a drone before an airstrike exploded in the town some 24 miles from Ethiopia’s border with Eritrea.

Aid workers and survivors said the strike hit a school that sheltered civilians displaced by the ongoing fighting in the country’s war of nearly two years. More than 50 people died, with dozens of others injured in one of the deadliest strikes in the conflict.

Reports of such attacks have risen since the conflict reignited in August between the rebels in the northern Tigray region and Eritrea-backed federal forces. The fighting has renewed efforts for a longer-lasting truce as civilians continue to bear the brunt of the damage and injuries.

Federal troops launched an offensive against the rebels from the semi-autonomous ethnic Tigray region in November 2020 after months of political tensions. The sides reached a fragile truce in March but it fell apart in August.

In a statement released on Monday, the Tigray forces said Eritrean troops had launched an “extensive offensive” heading for at least four towns in Tigray. Satellite imagery captured late last month showed a military buildup inside Eritrea near the border with Tigray. Eritreans are also reporting an extensive military call-up that has seen authorities seal homes and seize the cattle of those who refuse to serve.

Both sides of the conflict said they were open to peace talks that were set to begin last week. But authorities blamed logistical issues for the delays. Ethiopian President Sahle-Work Zewde told lawmakers on Monday that the government has continued to push for negotiations without conditions. “This year, we must put all of our efforts to bring the war that has tested our nation to end in peace,” she said.

Meanwhile, the conflict has displaced more than 2.6 million people and cut off basic services, including medical care and water. Investigators have accused all sides of violence and of using starvation as a weapon.

Local health authorities revealed in a new study that babies in Tigray are dying in their first month of life at four times the rate before the war started. The number of mothers dying during pregnancy or within 42 days of delivery has also risen by five times the pre-war number.

William Davison, a senior analyst with International Crisis Group, explained the Ethiopian government would have to recommit to restoring some essential services to Tigray to get both sides back to the negotiating table as the toll rises.

“It’s unbelievable carnage on the battlefield, and it really brings home the fact that this conflict doesn’t get the amount of attention it deserves,” Davison said.

World Radar

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WORLD Asia correspondent Joyce Wu contributed to this report.