Inside Story

What triggered the latest fighting in Tigray?

The Ethiopian government and rebel forces have accused each other of violating a months-long ceasefire.

Ethiopia’s northern region of Tigray has been in conflict for nearly two years.

The last few months of the ceasefire had led to hopes of a potential peace deal between the government and Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) rebels.

However, fighting between the warring sides erupted on Wednesday, with the government and the TPLF accusing each other of restarting the war.

Government forces launched an air raid on Friday in Tigray’s regional capital, Mekelle.

Can mediation end the fighting?

And what about the many civilians trapped in the region?

Presenter: Kim Vinnell

Guests:

Hone Mandefro – Advocacy director at the Amhara Association of America

Samuel Getachew – Journalist and political commentator

Martin Plaut – Senior research fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies