11/09/2026
Ethiopia: Renewed Escalation Demands Urgent International Action to Prevent Further Atrocities
We, the undersigned civil society organizations, express our grave concern over escalating violence, instability and mass atrocity crimes across Ethiopia. Communities across the country continue to endure the consequences of protracted conflicts without meaningful justice, accountability or recovery. Warnings of expanding conflict in parts of Oromia and Amhara, as well as renewed conflict in Tigray, have intensified throughout 2026.
Renewed conflict and atrocities in Tigray
In Tigray, communities are once again facing the risk of large-scale conflict as violence escalates and prospects for de-escalation diminish. Fighting between the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) and Tigrayan forces resumed on 1 August, and the government has reportedly launched near-daily drone strikes in Tigray since then, including attacks affecting civilians and civilian infrastructure such as schools, river banks, farms and residential homes. The renewed fighting has also reportedly forced hundreds of civilians to flee into Sudan. These developments follow earlier government drone attacks in January 2026, as well as troop mobilizations and clashes. Attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure are violations of International Humanitarian Law and require immediate investigation and accountability.
The renewed escalation is unfolding against the backdrop of the unresolved consequences of the 2020–2022 conflict and incomplete implementation of the November 2022 Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (CoHA), particularly with respect to the status of Western Tigray, and the continued presence of Eritrean forces. The unresolved situation in Western Tigray poses serious risks to peace and civilian protection. No durable agreement has been reached regarding the area’s status and governance, security arrangements or the return of hundreds of thousands of people displaced during the 2020–2022 conflict. The Pretoria Agreement calls for these issues to be resolved in accordance with the FDRE Constitution, including through the withdrawal of non-ENDF forces and the safe, voluntary and dignified return of displaced communities.
Human Rights Watch reported in April 2026 that ethnic Tigrayans in Western Tigray continued to face arbitrary detention and restrictions on movement, employment and access to services, and that conditions were not conducive to safe returns. In June 2023 Human Rights Watch reported that ethnic cleansing had occurred in Western Tigray. These findings must be understood in the context of extensive documented atrocities committed during the 2020–2022 conflict, including war crimes and crimes against humanity, and the continued absence of meaningful accountability for these abuses.
Atrocity risks in Amhara and Oromia
Atrocity crimes and serious human rights violations also persist elsewhere in Ethiopia. In Amhara, fighting between federal forces and ethnic Fano militias has been accompanied by unlawful killings, arbitrary detention, sexual violence and government drone strikes affecting Amhara civilians. In Oromia, fighting between the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) and government forces, which began in 2019, has evolved into a complex conflict involving multiple layers of security forces and various armed actors. Government forces, the OLA, Fano and other armed actors continue to be implicated in serious violations against civilians. Government forces are intensifying forced conscription across the region and have been implicated in extrajudicial executions, the recruitment and use of children and other violations. Fano forces have been implicated in killings of civilians and forced displacement, while the OLA has been accused of abductions, killings and r**e.
https://www.globalr2p.org/publications/ethiopia-renewed-escalation-demands-urgent-international-action-to-prevent-further-atrocities/
