By Abdullahi Salad - Reporter
Addis Ababa, 23 September 2026 – The United States has warned the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) against continuing military operations in northern Ethiopia, as fresh fighting erupted in Tigray and Afar.
U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia Ervin J. Massinga said he was disappointed by the TPLF leadership's decision to launch what he described as a "large-scale offensive," despite ongoing efforts to resolve the dispute through political dialogue.
"Rejecting dialogue sponsored by the African Union under President Olusegun Obasanjo and engaging in an unwinnable fight does nothing for the people," Massinga said.
The ambassador also warned other armed groups against joining the conflict, saying Washington has the tools to impose additional sanctions on leaders who attempt to push Ethiopia down a path of conflict. He stressed that reasonable political dialogue remains the most appropriate way to resolve the dispute.
Tensions escalated sharply on Wednesday after Tigrayan forces took control of the airports in Mekelle and Shire, while other reports indicated that they had also seized Axum airport. Reports from Mekelle said Alula Aba Nega International Airport was taken from federal police overnight on Tuesday.
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Ethiopian Airlines subsequently suspended all flights to Mekelle, Axum and Shire. The airline did not say when services to the three destinations would resume.
Fighting between Tigrayan and federal government forces was also reported around the towns of Abala and Erebti in the Afar region, close to the border with Tigray. Other reports indicated that clashes had occurred in the Amhara region, although details of the fighting there have not been independently verified.
The escalation came days after the TPLF and six other organizations announced a new political and military alliance seeking to remove Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government. The Ethiopian government accused the alliance of receiving support from Eritrea, but Asmara has previously denied the allegations.
The renewed fighting has raised fears that northern Ethiopia could once again descend into a wider war, while communities in Tigray and neighbouring regions are still recovering from the humanitarian losses and destruction caused by the 2020–2022 conflict.