This development comes against a backdrop of deadly conflict in Tigray from 2020 to 2022 between government troops and Tigray separatist forces, following rising tensions between national and regional authorities.
That conflict, which reportedly involved Eritrean soldiers, is believed to have killed tens of thousands and uprooted more than two million civilians, of whom one million remain internally displaced today.
Intensification of fighting
According to the UN human rights office (OHCHR), the latest escalation saw clashes between the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) and the Tigray Regional Security Forces (TSF) escalate on January 26, near the Amhara border. The TSF withdrew from the Tselemti area on February 1, OHCHR said.
“Both sides used drones, artillery and other powerful weapons,” Türk said in a statement. “Civilians are once again caught between rising tensions, with both TSF and ENDF reportedly carrying out arrests for alleged affiliation with the opposing side. this must stop”, he insisted.
Meanwhile, in the south and southeast of Tigray, near the border with Afar, clashes between the TSF and the “Tigray Peace Forces”, a rival faction, continue unabated, the High Commissioner noted.
“Both sides must step back from the abyss and work to resolve their differences through political means.“he said. “Alleged serious violations or abuses must be investigated promptly and independently, regardless of their perpetrators.”
Dire consequences
Briefing reporters in Geneva, High Commissioner spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani warned that new clashes could break out “at any time” with dire consequences for civilians. He highlighted his call for all parties to recommit to the Pretoria Agreement calling for an end to hostilities, signed in 2022.
Hostile parties should also ensure the return of internally displaced persons to their homes, among other confidence-building measures, Ms. Shamdasani continued.
“This is something that was part of the agreement, but it has not developed as smoothly as it should,” he said.
The High Commissioner also warned that recent tensions between Ethiopia and neighboring Eritrea risked worsening already serious humanitarian and human rights challenges in both countries and across the Horn of Africa.
“There have been reports of the presence of Eritrean troops and rising tensions between those two countries.” Ms. Shamdasani said, pointing to “disagreements…particularly regarding the situation in Tigray.”
He added: “We ask that these disagreements be resolved through political dialogue and not resort to violence. We all saw what happened in 2020, 2021, when there was a full-blown conflict in the Tigray region, which led to we still don’t know how many deaths… We cannot afford to go back to that.”