Violence in Ethiopia Erupts Once More

A five-month humanitarian truce has been shattered in Ethiopia, as fighting has resumed between the local government and rebellious northern forces.

Official reports state that renewed fighting broke out on Wednesday morning, 24 August, after the national military supposedly shot down a weapons plane destined for the rebellious northern region of Tigray.

However, local civilians have reported hearing gunfire near the town of Kobo in the neighbouring Amhara region on Tuesday evening, 23 August.

The war between Tigray People’s Liberation Front and Ethiopia’s government broke out in November 2020, after decades of rising tensions between the two forces. What followed was a devastating series of civilian deaths and famine.

The fighting continued until March this year when a truce was called to allow humanitarian aid to enter the war-torn area.

However, according to the World Health Organisation, as of mid-August, only 20% of the fuel needed to distribute food and medical resources to the northern territory was available in the area.

The Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, has responded to the latest round of violence by calling for an “immediate cessation of hostilities.”

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