Adigrat — The bloody civil war that ravaged Tigray between 2020 and 2022 is now compounded by an internal split within the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), one of the two factions vying for control of the region. The fragile peace agreement signed in Pretoria in 2022 (see Fides, 7/8/2024) between the Addis Ababa government and representatives of the TPLF appears to have succumbed to a new wave of violence and disorder, with the growing risk of plunging northern Ethiopia back into civil war.
On March 11, the rebel faction took control of Adigrat, a town on the border with Eritrea, and subsequently captured Adi-Gudem, located near the regional capital, Macallé, thus escalating an internal conflict within a larger conflict. For weeks, various media outlets have reported the imminent possibility of a new outbreak of violence, this time with the direct involvement of Eritrea.
The bishop of the Catholic Eparchy of Adigrat, Tesfaselassie Medhin, confirmed this situation to Fides. "Instability in our region continues to persist, tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea are increasing, and the country could be engulfed in a very bloody confrontation. God forbid that the factions involved start a new war in Tigray, which has already suffered enormously."
"In general, internal politics in Tigray are not good," Medhin continues. "The division between local politicians and the sudden interruption of USAID funding are severely penalizing millions of people. The impact on programs for the poor run by NGOs, religious organizations, and government agencies is devastating, and there is no exit strategy. Even the government agency Catholic Relief Services of Ethiopia, which provides emergency food aid, has seen its activities suspended. We have been informed that they will continue to operate with private funding, but only for smaller programs. We do not yet know what these will consist of," explains the bishop.
"For the rest, in a context of great anguish and suffering for our people, we are trying to move forward as a Church, to give hope to the people and be a sign of hope for them. We try to be at their side and work for healing from the trauma of the bloody conflicts of which they have been victims," notes Medhin.
The Eparch of Adigrat concludes his conversation with a thought for Pope Francis: "We pray for him. We are united in his suffering, but also in the joy that God has given us to have him as our pastor on the Chair of Peter."
