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Ongoing story / Ethiopia

The return of war to Ethiopia's Tigray region in 2026

Overview · reviewed November 5, 2026

War returned to Ethiopia's Tigray region in September 2026, testing the 2022 peace deal that ended a civil war in which some 600,000 people were killed.[1] By early October, federal forces had retaken the airport in the regional capital, Mekelle, and Tigrayan fighters were leaving the city, as Ethiopia and neighboring Eritrea broke off diplomatic ties.[2][3][4]

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By early October, federal forces had retaken the airport in the regional capital, Mekelle, and Tigrayan fighters were leaving the city, as Ethiopia and neighboring Eritrea broke off diplomatic ties.[2][3][4]

Coverage over time

Share of tracked outlets · weekly (UTC)

Week of 2026-09-21 (UTC): 4%, 18 of 479 tracked outlets (4 left, 13 center, 1 right)Week of 2026-09-28 (UTC): 2%, 9 of 476 tracked outlets (2 left, 6 center, 1 right)Week of 2026-10-05 (UTC): 1%, 5 of 479 tracked outlets (2 left, 2 center, 1 right)Week of 2026-10-12 (UTC): 1%, 3 of 476 tracked outlets (1 left, 2 center, 0 right)Week of 2026-10-19 (UTC): 1%, 3 of 479 tracked outlets (1 left, 1 center, 1 right)Week of 2026-10-26 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-11-02 (UTC): 1%, 4 of 471 tracked outlets (1 left, 3 center, 0 right)Week of 2026-11-09 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outlets, so far

LeftCenterRightLighter bar: this week so far

Each bar is the share of the outlets on our Left / Center / Right rating scale that we tracked publishing that week which carried reporting on this story, split by the outlets' ratings. We track more outlets now than in the archive, so a share keeps earlier and later weeks comparable. An outlet counts once a week however much it published, and outlets in one ownership or syndication group count as one on each side they appear on. A rating describes the outlet, not the report. A gap means no such reports were collected that week, not that nothing was reported anywhere. Weeks run Monday to Sunday in UTC, so a report published on a Sunday evening in US Eastern time counts in the next week. 6 more outlets off the scale (not rated, or outside the left-right graphs) also reported; they are not in this chart. See them.

Weekly counts, outlets and reports (6 weeks with coverage)
Outlets on the rating scale that carried this story each week, of the outlets tracked that week, newest first
Week of (UTC)LeftCenterRightOf trackedShareReceipts
Nov 2, 20261304 of 4711%
Oct 19, 20261113 of 4791%
Oct 12, 20261203 of 4761%
Oct 5, 20262215 of 4791%
Sep 28, 20262619 of 4762%
Sep 21, 2026413118 of 4794%

Latest coverage

The newest reporting in this story's record.

  1. Nov 2, 2026 · first reported · Headline from Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

    WHO: Ethiopia health system near collapse

Background

Ethiopia's main armed groups, including former adversaries, formed an alliance against the government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in September 2026.[5] Forces affiliated with the Tigray People's Liberation Front took control of the airport in Tigray's regional capital, and Ethiopian Airlines suspended flights to the region.[6] The fighting tested the 2022 peace deal that ended the 2020-2022 civil war, in which around 600,000 people were killed.[1] Ethiopia's army chief accused Eritrea, Sudan and Egypt of backing the rebels, which Sudan's army denied.[7]

Read the full background (2 more paragraphs)

Analysts warned that the conflict could spill into neighboring states and draw in other regional powers,[8][9] and Pope Leo XIV appealed for peace.[10] On October 1, blasts were heard across the capital, Addis Ababa, hours after the government banned drone flights; it was unclear whether they came from an attack.[11] Ethiopia then closed its embassy in Eritrea and expelled 10 Eritrean diplomats, and Eritrea severed diplomatic ties.[4] Federal forces retook Mekelle's airport,[2] and Tigrayan fighters began abandoning the city as pro-government forces advanced.[3]

Days after severing ties, Ethiopia and Eritrea each accused the other of starting the war.[12] A commander allied with Ethiopia's government said Eritrean soldiers had entered two towns in northern Ethiopia,[13] and Eritrea asked the to intervene.[12] Ethiopian forces entered the strategic town of Adwa, near the Eritrean border, in mid-October,[14] and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed appointed an interim government for Tigray, promising elections within six months.[15] Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged restraint as a rights group reported civilians killed.[16] On October 23, an official in Tigray's new federal-backed administration urged rebel fighters to disarm, hours after a rebel commander vowed to keep fighting.[17] In November, the head of the World Health Organization said attacks in northern Ethiopia were pushing the region's health system closer to collapse.[18]

Supporting stories (18)
  1. War has returned to Ethiopia’s Tigray — and former enemies are now fighting together. What changed?
  2. Ethiopian federal forces retake Mekelle airport from Tigrayan fighters, residents say
  3. Opposition fighters in northern Ethiopia's Tigray withdraw from regional capital
  4. Ethiopia: Embassy shut in Eritrea, 10 diplomats expelled
  5. Ethiopia's main armed groups form anti-government alliance
  6. Ethiopian Airlines cancels flights to Tigray amid concerns over renewed fighting
  7. Ethiopia accuses Eritrea, Sudan of backing Tigray rebels amid clashes
  8. The Sudan connection: Is Ethiopia at risk of a proxy war?
  9. Ethiopia’s Return to War Threatens to Engulf the Horn of Africa
  10. Pope Leo pleas for peace in Tigray, Ethiopia
  11. Blasts reported in Ethiopian capital hours after government banned drone flights
  12. Ethiopia, Eritrea ramp up rhetoric: Are they inching towards war?
  13. Eritrean soldiers entered northern Ethiopian towns, government-allied commander says
  14. Ethiopian govt forces enter key Tigray town near Eritrea border
  15. Ethiopia announces interim government in Tigray, aims for polls in six months
  16. Rubio urges restraint over Ethiopia-Eritrea tensions as rights group reports civilians killed
  17. Ethiopia’s Tigray rebels urged to disarm as commander vows to fight on
  18. Ethiopia attacks kill civilians as health system nears collapse, WHO chief says

The full record

Each date is when an update was first reported.

All 19 recorded updates

November 2026

  1. Ethiopia attacks kill civilians as health system nears collapse, WHO chief saysHeadline from WDIO Duluth · 5 outlets

October 2026

  1. Ethiopia’s Tigray rebels urged to disarm as commander vows to fight onHeadline from WTOP Washington DC · 3 outlets
  2. Ethiopia’s prime minister won a Nobel Peace Prize for making peace with Eritrea. Now the former allies could go to warHeadline from Fortune · 3 outlets
  3. Ethiopia announces interim government in Tigray, aims for polls in six monthsHeadline from France 24 · 6 outlets
  4. Rubio urges restraint over Ethiopia-Eritrea tensions as rights group reports civilians killedHeadline from Philadelphia Inquirer · 3 outlets
  5. Ethiopian govt forces enter key Tigray town near Eritrea borderHeadline from France 24 · 2 outlets
  6. Eritrean soldiers entered northern Ethiopian towns, government-allied commander saysHeadline from Philadelphia Inquirer · 4 outlets
  7. Ethiopia, Eritrea ramp up rhetoric: Are they inching towards war?Headline from Al Jazeera · 6 outlets
  8. Ethiopian federal forces retake Mekelle airport from Tigrayan fighters, residents sayHeadline from WTOP Washington DC · 4 outlets
  9. Opposition fighters in northern Ethiopia's Tigray withdraw from regional capitalHeadline from Philadelphia Inquirer · 10 outlets
  10. Ethiopia: Embassy shut in Eritrea, 10 diplomats expelledHeadline from Deutsche Welle · 6 outlets
  11. Blasts reported in Ethiopian capital hours after government banned drone flightsHeadline from Philadelphia Inquirer · 4 outlets

September 2026

  1. Pope Leo pleas for peace in Tigray, EthiopiaHeadline from Aleteia · 2 outlets
  2. Ethiopia’s Return to War Threatens to Engulf the Horn of AfricaHeadline from Foreign Policy · 3 outlets
  3. The Sudan connection: Is Ethiopia at risk of a proxy war?Headline from Deutsche Welle · 2 outlets
  4. Ethiopia accuses Eritrea, Sudan of backing Tigray rebels amid clashesHeadline from France 24 · 4 outlets
  5. War has returned to Ethiopia’s Tigray — and former enemies are now fighting together. What changed?Headline from KEYT Santa Barbara · 22 outlets
  6. Ethiopian Airlines cancels flights to Tigray amid concerns over renewed fightingHeadline from Philadelphia Inquirer · 3 outlets
  7. Ethiopia's main armed groups form anti-government allianceHeadline from France 24 · 2 outlets

Coverage & sources

Read the reports, see how much was collected over time, or compare outlets by political leaning.

Coverage & sources →