Authorities in Ethiopia’s Afar region have accused the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) of launching a cross-border attack from the neighboring Tigray region, a move that threatens to reignite conflict in northern Ethiopia.

Reports indicate that TPLF fighters seized control of at least six localities, in what local officials described as a “direct violation” of the 2022 Pretoria Agreement, which ended the civil war. 

The Afar regional government said that “the TPLF gang crossed into the region, specifically Zone Two, in the Qara and Milki areas, opening fire with heavy weapons against innocent Afar herders.”

Local leaders warned that the assault represents a clear breach of the truce, adding that if the group does not immediately withdraw, Afar “will take full responsibility for protecting its citizens and defending its borders.” 

The TPLF has not commented on the incident, which comes amid internal divisions within the movement, as rival factions challenge the legitimacy of the interim administration established in Tigray after the peace deal. 

Tensions have also spread beyond Ethiopia’s borders. Earlier in October, the Ethiopian government accused Eritrea of cooperating with a breakaway TPLF faction to “launch a war” against the country. Asmara dismissed the allegations as a “deceptive farce” and accused Addis Ababa of “provocative saber-rattling.” 

The deterioration of relations recalls the border war between the two countries from 1998 to 2000, when Ethiopia lost its access to the Red Sea following Eritrea’s independence.

Although Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki signed a peace agreement in 2018, tensions have since resurfaced amid suspicions that Ethiopia seeks to reclaim control of a Red Sea port to strengthen its economy. 

Local analysts warn that renewed hostilities could drag the Horn of Africa into another cycle of instability, as national reconstruction and reconciliation remain distant goals.