Tigray Region on Edge as Residents Flee Amidst Renewed Conflict Threats. Mekelle, Ethiopia — Amidst rising tensions and fears of renewed conflict, residents of Ethiopia’s Tigray region are beginning to flee their homes. Less than four years since the conclusion of a peace agreement that ended the civil war in the region, the specter of conflict is once again looming large.
In the capital city of Mekelle, a growing number of young men are seen in the dead of night, packing their belongings into backpacks and suitcases, in search of buses bound for Addis Ababa.
The situation in the Horn of Africa is increasingly volatile, with federal and Tigrayan forces massing along their shared border in northern Ethiopia.
The peace agreement that was meant to bring an end to the civil war in 2022 has never been fully implemented, and relations between the federal government and the Tigrayan administration have remained strained.
Ethiopia’s deteriorating relationship with Eritrea, which borders Tigray, has further exacerbated the situation. Hundreds of Tigray residents are said to be leaving the region daily, by bus or plane.
Basic product shortages are worsening, with the prices of smuggled petrol skyrocketing.
Federal authorities have cut subsidies to the region for months, leading to civil servants going unpaid and banks running out of cash.
In Chercher, a town of roughly 50,000 people near the borders with the Afar and Amhara regions, there is a palpable sense of fear and uncertainty.
A destroyed tank from the last war lies abandoned on the side of the road, serving as a stark reminder of the potential for conflict.
Mahlet Terefe, a 23-year-old mother, fled to another town with her three-year-old son when she heard the sound of heavy artillery. She returned to run her stall selling alcohol and juice, but business is almost non-existent. “
I want to leave with my boy before war starts, “she said expressing her deep-seated fear.
Regional officials in Chercher have warned that a new war is imminent. Officials commented on the matter.
The Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), the dominant party in the region, has also expressed concerns, with its second-in-command stating that Tigray is being encircled by federal troops.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has recently made a speech in Tigrinya, the language of Tigray, reiterating his desire to avoid war.
However, he also suggested that the TPLF was not ready to make any compromises.
The situation in the Tigray region remains tense and unpredictable.
With no end in sight to the tensions, many residents are taking preemptive measures to protect themselves and their families.
