Ethiopian Airlines resumes Tigray flights amid fears of renewed conflict

Ethiopian Airlines has resumed flights to the northern Tigray region after suspending services last week following clashes between regional and national forces. An airline official confirmed the resumption on Tuesday.

Clashes broke out in disputed western Tigray last week, according to diplomatic and government sources. Ethiopian Airlines announced on January 29 that it had cancelled flights to Tigray.

On Saturday, one person was killed, and another injured in drone strikes in Tigray, a senior Tigrayan official and a humanitarian worker said.

The airline has not publicly stated why it resumed services.

The clashes raised fears of a return to the conflict that engulfed Tigray between 2020 and 2022. Ethiopia’s national army fought fighters from the Tigray People’s Liberation Front for two years until late 2022, in a war that researchers say killed hundreds of thousands through direct violence, the collapse of healthcare and famine.

The suspension of flights signalled the severity of the recent tensions and disrupted access to a region still recovering from the war.

What is the current situation?

The Tigray war ended with a peace pact signed in November 2022. However, disagreements have continued over a range of issues, including contested territories in western Tigray and the delayed disarmament of Tigray forces.

The resumption of flights suggests some easing of immediate tensions, but the underlying disputes remain unresolved.

SOURCE: Reuters