10 February 2026 | Peace and Security
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has warned that renewed fighting in Ethiopia’s Tigray region could trigger another humanitarian and human rights crisis, urging all parties to de-escalate immediately.
Situation “highly volatile”
Volker Türk said the region remains deeply fragile after the devastating 2020–2022 war, and that recent clashes risk undoing hard-won but fragile gains.
“The situation remains highly volatile and we fear it will further deteriorate,” he said, warning of worsening human rights and humanitarian conditions.
Background: A war that uprooted millions
Between 2020 and 2022, fighting between Ethiopia’s federal government and Tigray forces—reportedly involving Eritrean troops—killed tens of thousands and displaced over two million people.
Today, approximately one million people remain internally displaced, still struggling to rebuild their lives.
Renewed clashes
According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), fighting intensified on 26 January near the Amhara border between:
- The Ethiopian National Defence Forces (ENDF)
- The regional Tigray Security Forces (TSF)
The TSF reportedly withdrew from the Tselemti area on 1 February.
Heavy weaponry, including drones and artillery, has been used by both sides.
Reports also indicate:
- Arrests of civilians perceived as affiliated with opposing forces
- Ongoing clashes in southern and southeastern Tigray
- Fighting between TSF and the rival “Tigray Peace Forces” faction
Türk stressed that civilians are once again caught between rival forces.
“This must stop,” he said, calling for independent investigations into alleged abuses.
Pretoria Agreement under strain
UN officials are urging parties to recommit to the Pretoria Agreement, the 2022 peace deal that formally ended the previous war.
Spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani warned that:
- Confidence-building measures have stalled
- The return of internally displaced persons has not progressed as expected
- New clashes could erupt “at any point”
Regional tensions with Eritrea
The High Commissioner also raised alarm over rising tensions between Ethiopia and neighbouring Eritrea, warning that disputes linked to Tigray could destabilize the wider Horn of Africa.
Reports of Eritrean troop presence and growing diplomatic friction heighten fears of renewed cross-border escalation.
“We cannot afford a return to what happened in 2020 and 2021,” Shamdasani said.
