Fighting erupts in western Tigray between Ethiopian forces and TPLF, threatening 2022 peace deal

Fierce fighting involving heavy artillery and drones erupted on August 1, 2026, between Ethiopian federal forces and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) near Shererina, forcing hundreds of Tigrayans to flee into Sudan. While the clashes subsided by August 2, 2026, the violence represents the most serious threat yet to the fragile 2022 Pretoria peace agreement. Tensions remain high as both sides trade blame, TPLF leadership faces internal divisions, and international mediation efforts struggle to prevent a return to full-scale war.

Western Tigray clashes

• ▪Clashes involving heavy artillery, mechanized units, and drones broke out between the Ethiopian military and the Tigray People's Liberation Front near Shererina on August 1, 2026.
• ▪The armed clashes near the Sudan border de-escalated and subsided by 5:00 a.m. local time on August 2, 2026.
• ▪Hundreds of Ethiopians from the Tigray region fled across the border into Sudan to escape the fighting near Shererina.

Pretoria peace agreement implementation failures

• ▪Tigrayan authorities declared that the 2022 Pretoria Agreement had collapsed, accusing the Ethiopian federal government of failing to implement its key provisions.
• ▪The 2022 Pretoria Agreement halted the active war but left unresolved deeper disputes regarding disarmament and the legal status of the Tigray People's Liberation Front.

TPLF internal divisions

• ▪Getachew Reda urged Tigray Defence Forces commanders to abandon Tigray People's Liberation Front chairman Debretsion Gebremichael, accusing him of relying on external actors to regain power.
• ▪The Tigray People's Liberation Front has reportedly carried out forced military recruitment and expanded its forces, causing many young people to flee the Tigray region.

International mediation efforts

• ▪The United States government imposed visa restrictions in June 2026 on Tigray People's Liberation Front hardliners accused of blocking the peace process.
• ▪United States Ambassador Ervin Massinga and African Union High Representative Olusegun Obasanjo traveled to Tigray in July 2026 to mediate a peaceful resolution.

Ethiopia-Tigray conflict background

• ▪The Tigray People's Liberation Front ruled Ethiopia for nearly 30 years before being sidelined when Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed came to power in 2018.
• ▪The previous war between the Tigray People's Liberation Front and Ethiopian forces from 2020 to 2022 claimed at least 600,000 lives according to African Union estimates.