UN rights chief Turk alarmed as fighting escalates in Ethiopia's Tigray

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk warned on 25 September 2026 that escalating fighting in Ethiopia poses a serious threat to civilians, saying he was deeply alarmed by the recent escalation in hostilities and its harmful impacts. The statement came as the Tigray People's Liberation Front seized local airports and launched attacks into the neighbouring states of Afar and Amhara, saying they were once again in a full-blown war with the federal government.straitstimes.com+1

The warning matters because Ethiopia's 2022 truce has shattered, ending nearly four years of precarious peace after one of the deadliest conflicts of this century. The 2020-22 war killed an estimated more than 600,000 people when electricity, banking, and almost all aid to Tigray were cut off. Turk urged all parties to de-escalate tensions immediately and avoid a return to full-scale war, warning that internet and telecommunications interruptions were increasing risks to civilians.

What the UN rights chief said

The UN rights office highlighted reports that airstrikes by the Ethiopian National Defence Force, some carried out using drones, hit five Tigray schools on 22 September 2026, resulting in deaths and injuries. A mortar strike on 23 September 2026 in Kobo town in Amhara, reportedly by the Ethiopian National Defence Force, also resulted in civilian deaths. Turk called on the parties to protect civilians and allow safe and unimpeded humanitarian access to all who need it.

Human Rights Watch documented an apparent Ethiopian government airstrike on a residential compound in the Daero neighborhood of Mekelle on 20 August 2026 that wounded 13 civilians, including seven children. The strike hit an area with no evident military targets, making it unlawfully indiscriminate, the organisation said. A satellite image captured on 1 September 2026 showed a crater measuring about four meters in diameter.

Laetitia Bader, deputy Africa director at Human Rights Watch, said the resumption of hostilities in northern Ethiopia heightens concerns about unlawful attacks and the grave threat posed to civilians. She said the Ethiopian military needs to abide by the laws of war and take all feasible precautions before carrying out any attack. Human Rights Watch interviewed survivors, medical workers, and residents between 21 August and 6 September 2026, and analysed satellite imagery and verified photographs.

Airstrikes and civilian casualties

Turk deplored an ongoing campaign of forced mass recruitment of civilians, including children, by the Tigray People's Liberation Front across Tigray, which included reprisals against anyone resisting recruitment and their families. He also mentioned disturbing reports of arbitrary conscription by government forces. The near-total disruption of phone networks and the internet has raised fears in Tigray of a return to the devastating blockade the northern region experienced during the last civil war.foreignpolicy.com

According to the Ethiopian National Defence Force, its troops have killed 272 enemy troops and captured 260 others since the fighting resumed. The Tigray People's Liberation Front accused government forces of firing on its troops on Wednesday, prompting retaliation, while Addis Ababa argued that armed rebels ordered an all-out offensive against federal positions in Afar and Amhara and seized three airports in Tigray. It remains unclear what led to the renewed fighting.

The Tigray People's Liberation Front announced a coalition with six other armed groups on Sunday, including major opposition parties that boycotted Ethiopia's election in June. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's Prosperity Party won around 90 percent of available seats in the country's lower house of parliament, with voting not taking place at all in Tigray. Ethiopia has accused the rebels of seeking an alliance with neighbouring Eritrea, which denies involvement.

Forced recruitment and communications blackout

On 21 September 2026, a drone struck an aid convoy in Tigray, which the United States government condemned. On 23 September 2026, Tigrayan forces controlled key regional airports, leading Ethiopian airlines to suspend flights. Fighting intensified in Tigray and spread to the Amhara and Afar regions, pitting federal forces against several armed groups. The Tigray regional government said its army will continue its fight to protect the rights, security, sovereignty, and survival of its people.

The African Union Commission called for an immediate de-escalation of hostilities, East Africa's bloc stressed the importance of maximum restraint, and the U.S. ambassador to Ethiopia demanded reasonable political dialogue. Turk urged all parties to de-escalate tensions and avoid a return to full-scale war, and called for safe and unimpeded humanitarian access. The Tigray People's Liberation Front said it was in a full-blown war with the federal government.