Power struggle leads to coup in Tigray as war looms between Ethiopia and Eritrea
Aregawi was building a tour-guiding business when war struck Ethiopia's Tigray region in 2020. He spent the next two years fighting on the frontline. Now he is among those who fear Tigray is on the brink of conflict once more.
'We don't want to become a battleground, but it seems like war is near, maybe even inevitable,' he said.
The war between Tigray's rebellious rulers and Ethiopia's federal government ended in 2022, leaving about 600,000 people dead and nearly 10% of women aged between 15 and 49 living in Tigray raped, according to a British Medical Journal study.
But the failure to implement most of the ceasefire's provisions – including the return of nearly 1 million displaced people – and a scramble over resources has split the ruling Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) party.
Tensions escalated this month when Tigray's interim president, Getachew Reda, tried to fire three senior military commanders, having previously accused his forces of attempting a coup.
A coup now appears to have taken place. Last week, a rival TPLF faction, led by the party chair Debretsion Gebremichael, installed its officials in provincial government offices. It also took over the mayor's office and the main radio station in the regional capital, Mekelle. Getachew fled to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital.
On Saturday a skirmish in Tigray resulted in three deaths. A few days before, another person was killed during a dispute in the town of Adi Gudem.
All week long queues formed outside Tigray's banks as people withdrew their cash, and flights leaving the country sold out. Armed men roamed Mekelle's streets at night, checking people's ID.
'Fear and uncertainty prevail,' said a resident, who asked not to be named. 'My friends are planning to leave for Addis Ababa, Kenya and Uganda because of the fear of war.'
Against this backdrop, concerns are also increasing over tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea. Despite fighting alongside each other in Tigray, the neighbouring countries have been at loggerheads for months over the determination of Ethiopia's prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, to regain access to the Red Sea, which Ethiopia lost when Eritrea seceded in 1993.
Having previously made overtures to the breakaway republic of Somaliland, Abiy set his sights on Eritrea's port of Assab. He has repeatedly said sea access was 'existential' for Ethiopia, which with 130 million people is the world's most populous landlocked country. He described losing Eritrea's coastline as a 'historical mistake'.
Eritrea has ordered a nationwide mobilisation and is trying to undermine Abiy by aiding rebels fighting Ethiopia's military in the Amhara region bordering Tigray. There are reports that Eritrean intelligence helped Debretsion's TPLF faction during last week's coup.
Ethiopia has sent tanks and troops to the Eritrean border, and state media have been amplifying voices justifying Ethiopia's claims over Assab port.
Last week, Gen Tsadkan Gebretensae, Tigray's vice-president, warned that war could erupt 'at any moment' and the region risked 'becoming a battlefield' again.
Payton Knopf and Alexander Rondos, the former US and EU special envoys to the region, described developments as 'dry tinder waiting for a match that could ignite an interstate war between Ethiopia and Eritrea'.
Abiy said he wanted Ethiopia to regain the port peacefully. 'Ethiopia has no intention to invade Eritrea to gain Red Sea access,' he said on Thursday. 'Our desire is to talk about it under the principle of give and take, in a mutually beneficial manner, and according to commercial law.'
He spoke after meeting the rival Tigray factions. It appears Abiy declined to intervene in support of Getachew, which could have sparked fresh fighting.
Abiy could seek a deal to secure the support of Tigray, which still has a formidable 200,000-strong military force.
Tigray's new leaders, meanwhile, want to regain control of western Tigray, a fertile area with gold deposits that was seized by Amhara forces during the war. Any attempt to recapture it could also spark fresh conflict, said Ahmed Soliman, at the geopolitical thinktank Chatham House.
'The crux is how things evolve in Tigray and how Abiy responds,' Soliman said. 'If there is no agreement, the situation could certainly escalate.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Record
14 hours ago
- Daily Record
Glasgow council hold emergency meeting on youth violence amid deaths of three teens
City leader Susan Aitken said the recent deaths of teenagers showed there was a growing problem with youth violence in Scotland. Glasgow's council leader has described the tragic deaths of three teenagers due to knife crime as 'a warning sign' in an emergency meeting on youth violence. The issue was brought before the full council after a powerful march on Sunday by the family of Kory McCrimmon, 16, who died after being attacked with a blade in Greenfield Park on May 31. His grieving parents, leading the Parents Against Knives campaign, told the country "enough is enough" and demanded action from leaders in Holyrood. City leader Susan Aitken said his death, and the recent deaths of teenagers Amen Teklay and Kayden Moy showed there was a growing problem with youth violence in Scotland. She said: 'We should take the opportunity to ask what we do collectively that matches the necessity of the moment and whether it is enough. 'Lets not forget that our city centre, our streets and our communities belong to our young people. 'If some of our young people are being drawn into violence by anti-social behaviou r that negatively affects them and the wider public then that's a problem and we need to address it. 'If other young folk are so fearful of being affected by violence that they themselves need to carry blades, that's a cycle we need to break.' Scotland has been rocked by three blade tragedies in less than 12 months. Amen, an Eritrean refugee, was found seriously injured in Maryhill on March 5. Kayden died after an incident at Irvine Beach on May 17. Teen boys have been charged in connection with both deaths. Just last month, a 14-year-old boy was sentenced to five years for the culpable homicide of Kory. The tragedies have taken place amid the Record's Our Kids ... Our Future campaign, which was launched two years ago in response to a youth violence epidemic. Councillors on Thursday backed a motion to urgently explore new solutions stressing that families must be part of the response amid growing safety concerns. SNP councillor Laura Doherty warned: "We must take a balanced view. While recent events have rightly drawn attention, the broader picture is more complex. "The truth is today young people are growing up in a very different world. "The pandemic causes disruption to learning, social development and mental well-being. We are now seeing some of the long term effects of that destruction.' Kory's aunt Jackie said Sunday's march sent a clear message: 'We've had enough. We need to see change now.' The family are calling for a meeting with John Swinney and Justice Scretary Angela Constance. Labour councillor Kevin Lalley added: "Many young people have a future to look forward to but with the recent violence these [children] have no future. We must all get involved to ensure tragedies that affect many families can be averted.' The council instructed the chief executive to involve young people in shaping new anti-violence strategies. The Record's Our kids... Our Future campaign was launched in February 2023 after we highlighted a worrying trend of violence amongst teens. Our campaign has called on the Scottish Government to invest in youth clubs and other ways to help young people. The Scottish Government recently announced an £82,000 boost for the Violence Reduction Unit, following pressure from campaigners. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
Daily Record
12-06-2025
- Daily Record
Scotland's justice secretary pledges £6m more to tackle youth violence after latest summit
Angela Constance announced the move following the latest emergency event at St Andrew's House in Edinburgh on Thursday. Scotland's justice secretary has pledged an additional £6m to tackle youth violence after the latest summit. Cabinet Secretary Angela Constance announced the move following the latest emergency event at St Andrew's House in Edinburgh. The cash will come next year as part of the Scottish Government's Cashback for Communities Fund. It comes amid the Record's applauded Our Kids ... Our Future campaign which was launched two years ago in response to a youth violence epidemic. As part of the campaign, we have repeatedly demanded the Scottish Government to invest in young people, so they can be nurtured, mentored and guided in every community. Speaking to the Record yesterday afternoon, Constance said: "I have increased investment in the Violence Reduction Unit and Medics Against Violence. "Today, we reopened the cashback for communities fund which will be £26m over the next three years. "That is about directly funding youth-related activities. Some of that work helps to keep young people out of the justice system and on the right side of the law." The total amount of cash to go to kids between next year and 2029 will be £26 - an increase of £6m from the £20m announced as part of the fund in 2023. Scotland has been rocked by three blade tragedies in less than 12 months. Kory McCrimmon, 16, died after he was stabbed in Glasgow's Greenfield Park on May 31, 2024. Amen Teklay, 15, died after he was found seriously injured on a street in the city's Maryhill on March 5 this year. Just weeks later, 16-year-old Kory McCrimmon died in hospital following an incident at Irvine Beach in Ayrshire on May 17. Three teenage boys aged 14, 15, and 16 have been arrested and charged in connection with the death of Amen, an Eritrean refugee, while three male youths - a pair aged 17 and a 14-year-old - appeared in court charged with the murder of Kayden. And just last month, a 14-year-old boy was sentenced to five years detention after admitting culpable homicide following the death of Kory at the park in Glasgow's east end. Constance went on to admit there is little she can say to comfort the parents of the boys involved in all three tragedies. She said: "I know there is probably little I can say to comfort grieving families. "I also know from my direct engagement with families of victims who have suffered a fatality that what they want more than anything, is to know that this won't happen to any other families. "They also want to know that the risk of this happening to others is reduced. "That's why we are so focused on prevention because that is the best and most effective way to prevent other families from facing this." Jimmy Paul, head of the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit, also attended the emergency summit. He urged the Scottish Government to invest in youth work at all levels. He said: "In Scotland, we know creating safe spaces is a big part of youth work but so is other forms of youth work such as having steet workers, having positive role models, having whole-family support and addressing their trauma. "There is no silver bullet but we need to work on all of these things. "My hope now is that after this summit, we see more funding in all of these things to prevent youth crime." Dr Christine Goodall, founder of Medics Against Violence, added: "Youth work is important both within work and in education settings. "After today's summit, we'd like to see this be made a priority. "We know that not all young people have access to youth work and that youths often don't get access to a trusted adult. "We'd like to see these things prioritised and more support for families." Vicky Donald, whose then 12-year-old daughter Kaylynn was battered on a school bus on her way home from class in Ladybank, FIfe in October 2022, said the funding was a "drop in the ocean" for the Scottish Government. The 38-year-old said: "It's is a drop in the ocean and won't stretch far enough. The entire £ 26 isn't spread evenly enough - particularly if you look into breaking cash down into local areas. "The majority of this cash will go to densely populated areas. Some of the cash will even go to sport centres. "This crisis needs a specific fund where cash goes directly to tackling youth violence. epidemic is. "What are they doing to make the streets safer? Nothing." Angela Jarvis' daughter, Abbie, also aged 12 at the time of her attack, was left with PTSD following the brutal beating at a skatepark in Drumchapel just three after Kaylynn's assault. The mum called on the Scottish Government to stretch its funding further to help kids affected by crime. Angela, 44, said: "An additional £6m is welcomed but it isn't really enough to tackle this crisis and children who are affected by it. "The funding should go wider than just youth work - kids are facing a mental health crisis caused by violence and its aftermath. There needs to be more money for that too."
Daily Record
08-06-2025
- Daily Record
More funding to tackle youth violence in Scotland announced amid Record campaign
The Record launched the Our Kids ... Our Future campaign in February 2023 after we highlighted a worrying trend of violence among teens. More funding has been announced to tackle youth violence in Scotland after a Daily Record campaign to combat the issue. The Scottish Government confirmed it would be investing an additional £82,000 in the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit (SVRU) this year. The move comes amid the Record's applauded youth violence campaign, Our Kids ... Our Future, which was launched two years ago after we highlighted a worrying trend of violence among teens. As part of the campaign, we have repeatedly called on the Scottish Government to invest in youth clubs and in other ways to help young people as the epidemic unfortunately shows no signs of stopping in Scotland. The cash injection comes as part of a Scottish Government package to tackle violence. It takes funding for the year to £1.217 million - an increase of 7%. Medics Against Violence have also received increased funding of up to £345,000 to deliver a range of activities. A further £156,000 has also been awarded to the Mentors in Violence Prevention programme. The Record launched Our Kids ... Our Future in February 2023 after we reported the shocking assault of autistic schoolgirl Abbie Jarvis at a skatepark in Glasgow on October 4, 2022. Abbie, then 12, was lured to the facility in the city's Drumchapel and beaten unconscious in an attack which left her in hospital for two days. She has since been diagnosed with PTSD. Abbie's attack prompted many other parents of child victims to speak out about scenes of youth violence in Scotland, including Vicky Donald, whose 15-year-old daughter was battered on her way home from school in Ladybank in Fife just weeks later. Since its launch, the Record has reported on three blade tragedies including the untimely deaths of 16-year-old Kory McCrimmon on May 31, 2024, Amen Teklay, 15, on March 5 this year and Kayden Moy, 16, on May 17 just last month. Three teenage boys aged 14, 15, and 16 have been arrested and charged in connection with the death of Amen, an Eritrean refugee, in Glasgow's Maryhill. In recent weeks, three teenage boys – a pair aged 17 and a 14-year-old – have appeared in court charged with the murder of Kayden, who was allegedly attacked on Irvine Beach in North Ayrshire, and died in hospital. And just last month, a 14-year-old boy was sentenced to five years detention after admitting culpable homicide following the death of Kory at Glasgow's Greenfield Park last year. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Cabinet Secretary for Justice Angela Constance said: 'It's important to be clear that Scotland remains a safe place to live. But more needs to be done to change the attitudes and behaviours of some who are at risk of violence, or those young people who are considering carrying a weapon. There is no place for violence in Scotland and anyone who commits a crime, will face the consequences. 'Our work remains focused on ensuring our prevention and punishment measures respond to the changing behaviours of young people. This includes ensuring good school and community engagement with young people, appropriate police powers and tackling the root causes of violence."
