Hundreds Flee North Ethiopia as Fighting Rages Near Sudan Border

Sun Sep 06 2026 03:54:27 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Hundreds of civilians flee from war‑torn Tigray to Sudan amid renewed clashes between the TPLF and federal forces, raising fears of a full‑blown civil war.

Civilians from the western Tigray region have crossed into Sudan after a week‑long clash in Shererina involving artillery, drones and heavy fighting. The conflict, the most severe since the 2020‑22 civil war, sparked fears that the peace deal could unravel and that the Sudanese civil war might spill over into Ethiopia. Both the Tigray People's Liberation Front and federal authorities blame each other for the violence, while Ethiopia’s minister urged dialogue. The death toll remains uncertain, but witnesses report radio explosions and gunfire. Shererina’s strategic position and ongoing disputes between Tigray and neighboring Amhara heighten the stakes.

Hundreds Flee North Ethiopia as Fighting Rages Near Sudan Border

Civilians from the western Tigray region have crossed the Sudanese border at Shererina after a week‑long clash that involved artillery, drones and intense gunfire.

The confrontation, one of the most serious since the 2020‑2022 civil war ended, left a rusted tank half‑buried in a rural road, a stark reminder of the conflict’s lasting damage.

Both the Tigray People’s Liberation Front and Ethiopia’s federal government blame each other for the fighting. TPLF’s regional administration accused the national army of launching an “open war” that violated the peace agreement, while federal minister Abraham Belay called the TPLF a “clique” and warned of “worse consequences” if the conflict continued.

The federal army has not issued an official statement, but Belay urged dialogue, stating that disputes should be settled through “peaceful negotiations rather than war.”

Witnesses report explosions, heavy gunfire and aircraft overhead on Saturday. Sudanese medical and local sources say civilians and wounded fighters fled across the border, but the death toll remains unclear.

Shererina’s strategic position is significant; western Tigray has been a hotspot of tension between Tigray and the neighboring Amhara region since the civil war, heightening the stakes of any renewed confrontation.

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