Symbolic imageFighting spreads in Tigray as Ethiopia-Eritrea war risk grows
Tigrayan groups are forcibly recruiting boys as young as 15, witnesses say, as fighting spreads. An analyst warns of rising risk of war between Ethiopia and Eritrea.
Fighting began on 23 September, when the TPLF seized airports including Mekelle's; it says it was answering federal drone strikes. Federal forces entered Mekelle on Saturday, 3 October, and the TPLF said its government would leave the city temporarily. Aid sources reported air strikes and artillery exchanges into Monday, with one bulletin citing at least 17 dead in Adwa and Sheraro.
Forced recruitment
Witnesses told the Guardian that the TPLF and its allies round up men and boys aged 15 to 65 on the streets, and that people with money bribe officers. The Guardian says Eritrean forces and Amhara militias, enemies in 2020-22, now fight alongside the TPLF.
Eritrea tensions
Ethiopia accuses Egypt, Eritrea and Sudan's army of backing the rebels; all three deny it. Ethiopia closed its embassy in Asmara, and Eritrea said ties were severed. Magnus Taylor of the International Crisis Group says the risk of direct war between the two states is rising.
Calls for calm
Premium Times reports that four African countries have urged de-escalation.
Other opinions
The Guardian presents Eritrean support for the TPLF as fact, while The National and TASS report Eritrea's denial.