TPLF declares ‘defensive’ war on Ethiopian government
Shafaq News- Addis Ababa
Ethiopia's government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), the party in control of the northern region of Tigray, accused each other on Wednesday of launching offensives, four years after a peace deal ended the war between them.
Getachew Reda, a cabinet minister and adviser to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, alleged that Tigrayan forces had seized control of federally administered airports in Tigray and launched attacks into the neighboring Afar and Amhara regions.
It is rather heartbreaking to learn that despite efforts by many including the international community to avoid yet another round of war in Tigray, the TPLF leadership early in the morning today launched an all out offensive against government positions in Afar and Amhara. It has…
— Getachew K Reda (@reda_getachew) September 23, 2026
Tigrayan authorities earlier said the federal government was escalating tensions, adding that their forces had been pushed into a "defensive war." The statement followed reports of drone strikes in Tigray.
The two-year Tigray war ended with the signing of the African Union-brokered Pretoria peace agreement in 2022. In recent months, however, the two sides have repeatedly charged each other with violating the accord.
The conflict was among Ethiopia's deadliest in decades, with the African Union estimating that about 600,000 people died as fighting and humanitarian restrictions pushed Tigray toward famine.
On Sunday, the TPLF formed an alliance with six other armed groups seeking to remove the federal government in Addis Ababa.
