The Tigray War erupted in November 2020 when the Ethiopian federal government, led by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, launched a military offensive against the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) following an attack on a federal military base in Mekelle. The conflict drew in Eritrean forces and Amhara regional militias. It became one of the deadliest conflicts of the 21st century, marked by widespread atrocities, famine-level food insecurity, and systematic sexual violence. A Permanent Cessation of Hostilities agreement was signed in Pretoria in November 2022 under African Union mediation. Implementation has been slow and contested, with Eritrean troops maintaining a presence, sporadic violence persisting, and humanitarian access remaining severely restricted through 2024.
Eritrean Defense Forces continued to occupy parts of northern Tigray despite repeated AU and Ethiopian calls for withdrawal, undermining full implementation of the Pretoria agreement.
Armed clashes between Tigrayan forces and Amhara Fano militias reignited in contested areas of western Tigray, displacing tens of thousands of civilians and stalling humanitarian convoys.
The World Food Programme temporarily suspended food distributions in several Tigray zones after Ethiopian authorities denied convoy access, raising alarm over renewed famine risk for an estimated 1.4 million people.
African Union envoy Olusegun Obasanjo convened a review session marking two years since the Pretoria agreement, acknowledging stalled disarmament and calling on all parties to accelerate transitional justice mechanisms.
The Tigray Interim Regional Administration held internally mediated discussions with TPLF factions on political reconciliation, though deep divisions over leadership and accountability for wartime atrocities remain unresolved.