Hundreds Flee Tigray Into Sudan as Ethiopian Army, TPLF Clash Near Border
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Aug 3
Hundreds Flee Tigray Into Sudan as Ethiopian Army, TPLF Clash Near Border
3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Aug 3
Summary
Hundreds of Ethiopians crossed from Tigray into Sudan after heavy fighting erupted Saturday in Shererina, one of the gravest confrontations since the 2022 peace deal ended the civil war.
Shererina fighting continued into Sunday and involved artillery and drones, according to a TPLF member, while witnesses reported explosions, heavy gunfire and aircraft near the Sudan border.
Both sides blamed the other: the TPLF-led administration called it an "open war" by federal forces, while minister Abraham Belay said the "TPLF clique" started the clashes and warned of worse consequences.
The violence has revived fears of a return to full-scale war because the 2022 agreement was never fully implemented and the TPLF has since retaken control of Tigray from the interim administration.
Western Tigray's disputed status and accusations that Sudan's rival factions back opposing Ethiopian sides raise the risk that the border fighting could widen into a regional proxy conflict.
Is Shererina the spark for another Tigray war, or a warning that the 2022 peace deal was never truly implemented?
Why are civilians fleeing into Sudan again as drones and artillery return to disputed western Tigray?
From Pretoria Peace to Renewed War: Ethiopia’s 2026 Tigray Crisis and the Regional Humanitarian Fallout
Overview
In August 2026, heavy fighting broke out between Ethiopian federal forces and Tigrayan fighters in Western Tigray, triggering a new refugee crisis as hundreds fled into Sudan and explosions hit border refugee camps. This violence marked the collapse of the 2022 Pretoria Peace Agreement, which had already been weakened by unaddressed political disputes, exclusion of key actors, and unmet reconstruction and demobilization goals. The crisis deepened as Eritrean and Amhara forces continued to occupy large parts of Tigray, blocking displaced people from returning home and fueling severe humanitarian hardship. International aid cuts and regional proxy conflicts have left the situation dangerously unstable, with little hope for peace.