Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have issued sharply focused responses as renewed fighting in northern Ethiopia spreads beyond Tigray, displacing an estimated 150,000 people and raising concern about wider instability in the Horn of Africa.
Qatar called for an immediate halt to hostilities and a return to dialogue, while the UAE expressed support for Ethiopia’s federal government and condemned attacks attributed to Tigrayan forces and their allies. The statements come after the Pretoria Peace Agreement ended the 2020–2022 war but failed to prevent a new escalation.
Qatar calls for restraint and protection of civilians
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said the military escalation threatened Ethiopia’s unity, sovereignty and regional stability. It urged all parties to protect civilians and respect the Pretoria agreement, which remains the main framework for resolving the conflict between Ethiopia’s federal authorities and Tigrayan representatives.
The Qatari statement did not explicitly name the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) or the wider alliance of armed groups now fighting the federal government. Instead, Doha emphasised de-escalation, dialogue and efforts to resolve disputes through political means.
UAE backs Ethiopia’s federal government
The UAE took a more direct position, condemning what it described as attacks by the TPLF and allied armed groups against federal forces. Abu Dhabi also criticised the seizure of airports in Tigray and the spread of fighting into Afar and Amhara.
UAE Minister of State Sheikh Shakhboot bin Nahyan Al Nahyan said his country stood in solidarity with Ethiopia’s government and population. He rejected attempts to alter Ethiopia’s constitutional order through force.
The contrasting statements highlight the diplomatic concern surrounding the conflict. Although Qatar and the UAE are not parties to the fighting, their reactions reflect the broader regional importance of Ethiopia’s stability.
Fighting expands beyond Tigray
The latest clashes are the most serious in northern Ethiopia since the agreement that ended the previous war. Tigrayan forces reportedly seized the airports at Mekelle, Axum and Shire, leading Ethiopian Airlines to suspend flights to the region.
The TPLF says it is acting defensively after federal forces attacked Tigray with drones, artillery and ground troops. Ethiopia’s federal government, however, accuses the group of launching a planned offensive. The competing claims have not been independently resolved.
Reports indicate that fighting has moved into neighbouring areas:
- Tigrayan forces captured Erebti in Afar over the weekend.
- Pro-government forces said they had retaken Alamata, a strategically important supply town south of Mekelle.
- A drone strike hit the headquarters of Tigrai TV in Mekelle, although no casualties were reported.
- Commercial flights to several airports in Tigray have been suspended.
The spread of fighting has increased the risk that the conflict could affect communities and transport routes outside Tigray itself.
Hospitals and aid agencies report rising humanitarian needs
Medical organisations have reported a sharp increase in casualties. Médecins Sans Frontières said hospitals in Korem and Alamata treated more than 420 wounded people between 22 and 25 September. Suhul Hospital also received more than 300 wounded people during the following week.
The Afar Pastoralist Development Association estimates that approximately 150,000 people have been displaced. The figure covers people forced to leave their homes as hostilities spread through Tigray and neighbouring regions.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres said he was gravely concerned about the seizure of the airports and the expansion of hostilities. He called for an end to the fighting, protection of civilians, humanitarian access and renewed talks under the existing peace agreement.
Regional governments exchange accusations
The crisis has also triggered accusations involving Ethiopia’s neighbours. Ethiopia’s army chief, Field Marshal Birhanu Jula, accused Eritrea, Sudan and Egypt of supporting armed groups opposing the federal government, but did not provide evidence in the reported statement.
Sudan’s army rejected the accusation and alleged that Ethiopia was allowing its territory to be used in support of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces. Egypt’s Foreign Ministry dismissed suggestions that Cairo interferes in other states and said it respected national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Eritrea has also denied backing Ethiopian armed groups and accused Addis Ababa of attempting to shift responsibility for the violence. These allegations remain disputed, and their escalation adds another layer of regional tension to the conflict.
A new armed alliance raises the political stakes
The TPLF joined six other armed groups this month in an alliance that says it wants to remove Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government and establish a transitional administration.
That development means the current crisis is not only a local confrontation over territory. It also presents a direct political challenge to Ethiopia’s federal authorities and could complicate efforts to implement the Pretoria agreement.
For neighbouring countries, the risks include cross-border displacement, disruption to trade and transport, and the possible involvement of additional armed actors. International calls for restraint are therefore focused both on ending immediate violence and preventing the conflict from becoming a broader regional crisis.
What happens next?
The immediate priority identified by Qatar, the UAE and the United Nations is a cessation of hostilities and improved access for humanitarian organisations. Whether that can be achieved will depend on the willingness of the federal government, Tigrayan forces and allied groups to return to negotiations.
Further international attention is also likely to focus on civilian protection, access to hospitals and the restoration of transport links. The competing claims over who initiated the latest offensive remain unresolved, making independent verification and humanitarian access especially important.
The central takeaway from this latest European news and wider international affairs development is that Ethiopia’s renewed conflict has moved beyond a single regional confrontation. Qatar’s call for dialogue, the UAE’s backing for the federal government and the United Nations’ warning all point to the same concern: without a political settlement, the fighting could deepen Ethiopia’s humanitarian crisis and destabilise the Horn of Africa.
