Ethiopia Warns of Fresh Tigray War, Says TPLF Readying Major Attack on Army Bases
-
Staff Reporter GAROWE ONLINE
- Posted On 12-06-2026, 10:37AM
ADDIS ABABA – Ethiopia has warned that the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) is preparing a major military offensive against Ethiopian National Defence Force (EDF) bases in the country's north, raising fears of a return to the devastating conflict that ended less than four years ago.
The warning was issued by Ethiopia's intelligence chief and echoed by a former president of the Tigray region, both of whom said they had received information indicating that TPLF forces were mobilising for a large-scale assault on federal military positions.
According to the officials, the planned operation would target EDF installations stationed in northern Ethiopia, an area that was at the centre of the two-year war between federal forces and Tigrayan fighters that killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions.
They called on the international community, including regional and global partners involved in the 2022 peace process, to exert pressure on the TPLF leadership in Mekelle to avoid taking up arms again and instead pursue dialogue.
The officials also accused neighbouring Eritrea of encouraging renewed hostilities and contributing to the deterioration of the security situation, alleging that Asmara was playing a role in escalating tensions in the region. Eritrea has not publicly responded to the accusations.
The latest claims come against the backdrop of growing political and military tensions within Tigray. Rival factions within the TPLF have been at odds over the implementation of the Pretoria peace agreement, signed in November 2022 under the mediation of the African Union, which brought an end to one of Africa's deadliest recent conflicts.
Despite the peace deal, concerns have persisted over the presence of armed forces in disputed areas, delays in disarmament and disagreements over the political future of Tigray.
The renewed warnings have heightened fears among diplomats and aid agencies that northern Ethiopia could once again descend into conflict, jeopardising fragile recovery efforts and worsening humanitarian conditions in a region still struggling to rebuild after years of war.
GAROWE ONLINE
