Africa

War has returned to Tigray. This time it may not stay in Ethiopia

War has returned to Tigray. This time it may not stay in Ethiopia Expert comment LToremark 1 October 2026 As fighting escalates in Tigray and neighbouring areas, there are fears that Ethiopia’s internal instability could spill over into the wider Horn of Africa region. Conflict returned to Ethiopia’s northern region of Tigray on 23 September, as the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) forces stormed three national airports in Tigray. In what the TPLF claimed was defensive combat , ground offensives were also expanded along Tigray’s southern and eastern borders with the neighbouring Amhara and Afar regions. The TPLF and its allies captured parts of Afar but lost several key areas in southern Tigray, including Alamata town. Ethiopia’s federal government forces and the allied Tigray Peace Force (TPF) are now advancing towards Mekelle, the capital of Tigray. Meanwhile, reports of drone strikes in Addis Ababa and on government-controlled airbases alters the nature of the war. Although Tigray has seen conflict before, this time there is a risk that hostilities could extend into Eritrea and Sudan. The slow creep towards renewed conflict Related work Ethiopia needs more than an election to calm internal and regional conflict The risk of renewed hostilities in Tigray had been clear for some time, given the steady decline in relations between the federal government and the TPLF. The failure to build on the Pretoria Agreement – the ceasefire deal that brought an end to the war in 2022 – was largely the result of a continued zero-sum approach by both sides, as well as weak implemen

Inside Sudan’s War

In this episode of The Horn , Alan speaks with Yousra Elbagir, Sky News’s Africa correspondent, about her reporting from inside Sudan’s war, including around El Obeid and El Fasher, how Sudanese are surviving the war and how the war could end.

Liberalization on Paper: State Control in Ethiopia’s Telecom Sector

September Trends and October Alerts 2026

Ethiopia’s Renewed War Could Engulf the Broader Region

Renewed fighting in northern Ethiopia has left the Pretoria Peace Agreement, the November 2022 deal that ended the brutal civil war between the federal government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), in tatters. The two-year civil war left 600,000 dead and was considered one of the world’s most lethal conflicts. The TPLF and Ethiopian […] The post Ethiopia’s Renewed War Could Engulf the Broader Region appeared first on The Soufan Center .

Back to War in Ethiopia?

This week on Hold Your Fire! , Richard speaks with Crisis Group’s Africa director Murithi Mutiga about renewed fighting in northern Ethiopia, how the conflict could unfold, the risks of regional escalation and whether diplomacy can still stop the slide into all-out war.

South Sudan’s President Jettisons Unity Government and Hardens Grip on Power

Crisis Group expert Daniel Akech examines how President Kiir’s call for fresh elections aims to weaken his opponents, and may pave the way to worsening armed conflict

Between aid and interest: the case for smarter energy partnerships

What can DRC’s national dialogue achieve?

What can DRC’s national dialogue achieve? Expert comment jon.wallace 24 September 2026 President Tshisekedi and the opposition both want national dialogue. But it remains to be seen whether they can agree on the nature of the DRC’s problems, let alone their solutions. When President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Félix Tshisekedi finally announced a ‘national dialogue’ on 27 August, he evoked the country’s long history of previous negotiations. Too often, he said, they had been about elite power sharing, had not meaningfully included the Congolese people, and had legitimized armed insurrection. This time will be different, he promised. Tshisekedi appealed directly to the Congolese people by proposing a series of public consultations in all 26 provinces, culminating in a convention in Kinshasa. Unlike previous dialogues, this process has a more ambitious aim. It not only seeks to address the causes of insecurity and inequality in DRC and identify reforms. It also seeks to reconstruct or re-found the state. The opposition immediately denounced the project. The C64, a coalition made up of opposition heavyweights including Moïse Katumbi, Martin Fayulu, Delly Sesanga and Jean-Marc Kabund, rejected Tshisekedi’s proposal . So too did the ‘Sauvons le Congo’ platform created by exiled former president Joseph Kabila. Tshisekedi’s plan, they claim, is intended above all to legitimize his attempt to change the constitution, possibly allowing the president to extend his rule beyond his two-term limit, which ends in 2028. They point to a controversial bill that would pave

Tunisia’s Nearshoring Potential for the Netherlands

Recasting Europe in the Sahel

“A Recurring Pattern”: Civilians Paying the Price in Mali’s Drone Campaign

Sign up here to receive Bellingcat’s biggest investigations by email as soon as they are published. WARNING: This report contains links to graphic images and footage. A joint Bellingcat and Jeune Afrique investigation into drone strikes carried out by the Malian military adds new details about the attacks which frequently are carried out in civilian areas and have […] The post “A Recurring Pattern”: Civilians Paying the Price in Mali’s Drone Campaign appeared first on bellingcat .

Europe Fails to Learn the Lessons from Ceuta

The aftermath of the Ceuta crisis shows Europe has drawn the wrong lessons. Rather than doubling down on failed migration policies, the EU needs to address the underlying roots of such episodes.

Climate of concern: The changing face of social movements in North Africa

Social movements in North Africa increasingly focus on environmental concerns and the impact of climate change. Europeans must ensure their cooperation with governments in the region does not end up adding to activists’ grievances

Tracking a Sanctioned Russian Vessel’s West African Odyssey

Sign up here to receive Bellingcat’s biggest investigations by email as soon as they are published. A sanctioned vessel that was previously reported to have transported weapons destined for Russian mercenaries has been traversing ports on the west coast of Africa since March, exhibiting what experts told Bellingcat was an unusual set of movements and behaviours. Patria (IMO: […] The post Tracking a Sanctioned Russian Vessel’s West African Odyssey appeared first on bellingcat .

Power up: How EU-Africa cooperation can drive Europe’s battery recycling future

Europeans are making little progress in their efforts to source critical raw materials from recycling. They should establish stricter export controls, expand domestic recycling and refining capacity, and develop stronger EU-Africa partnerships to benefit both continents

Alone at the border: Ceuta and Europe’s solidarity failure

By failing to show solidarity with a member state under pressure, the EU is encouraging Morocco and others to keep using migration as a tool of coercion.

Two of a kind: How France and Italy can show the way for Europe’s Africa policy

Rome and Paris have each overhauled their economic strategies towards Africa in the past few years, competing openly for influence on the continent. Here is how the EU can use that rivalry to sharpen Europe’s offer to Africa

Shoring up the Red Sea: Why the next crisis may begin in the Horn of Africa

The Red Sea is becoming more dangerous, and not only because of the Houthis. Conflicts in the Horn of Africa are converging and drawing in external powers, creating new threats to a maritime corridor vital to global trade.

ECFR’s summer entertainment list 2026

Whether you’re heading off on holiday or staying home this summer, ECFR’s entertainment recommendations—spanning books, podcasts and tv series—will help you reconnect with your internal and external wellbeing