'Large-scale' fighting shatters lull in Ethiopia's Tigray

Ethiopian military near the border of the Tigray and Amhara regions of Ethiopia [AP]

Ethiopia's military has launched a "large-scale" offensive for the first time in a year in the northern Tigray region, Tigray authorities alleged Wednesday, while the government countered that Tigray forces attacked first. It's a significant setback to mediation efforts as millions of people remain starved of food and other needs.

The conflict began in November 2020, killing thousands of people in Africa's second-most populous country. Now, as then, both sides have acted at a moment when the world was focused elsewhere - the U.S. presidential election in 2020 and the six-month mark of the Ukraine war Wednesday.

The conflict calmed in recent months amid slow-moving mediation efforts. But last week, the spokeswoman for Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed asserted that Tigray authorities were "refusing to accept peace talks," and this week, Ethiopia's military warned the public against reporting troop movements.

For their part, an Aug. 23 letter signed by Tigray leader Debretsion Gebremichael and shared with The Associated Press said Tigray leaders had "conducted two rounds of confidential face-to-face talks with senior military and civilian officials" - the first confirmation of direct talks. But it said "unacceptable conditions have been inserted into the peace process," and urged the international community to step in quickly.

All sides have committed abuses in the conflict. On Wednesday, the United Nations said Tigray forces "forcibly entered" a World Food Program warehouse in the regional capital, Mekele, and took 12 fuel tankers meant for the delivery of badly needed humanitarian aid.

The Tigray military command said Ethiopian forces, along with fighters from the neighboring Amhara region, "started a large-scale attack around 5:00 a.m. in the direction of Alamata, southern Tigray."

Ethiopia's government said Tigray forces attacked first and warned that if attacks continue, "the government will take measures to save the country ... and bring (Tigray forces) to the negotiating table whether it likes it or not."