Authorities in Ethiopia’s northern Amhara region have vowed to launch an offensive against forces from neighbouring Tigray, with the spokesman for the Amhara regional government stating patience had run out.
“As of today, we have opened an offensive,” he said.
Tigray rebels have recaptured much of Tigray in recent weeks with Federal forces and their allies having to withdraw from key areas.
Retired members of the security forces have been called up as volunteer militias have been asked to mobilize.
Tigrayan forces are pushing towards territory seized by the Amhara early on in the civil war. Both groups see it as rightfully theirs.
With heightened tensions, this could lead to a fresh and even more bloody phase of the conflict.
Ethiopia was previously the most stable country in the Horn of Africa and is a key ally of the West in the war on terror.
But now, it risks not only tearing itself apart but increasing instability across one of the most fragile regions of Africa.
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