Defensive operations are currently being conducted by Tigrayan forces against a renewed offensive, but will soon transition into full-scale counter-attacks, Tigray President Dr. Debretsion Gebremichael announced on Thursday, alleging the involvement of the United Arab Emirates in the conflict.
The defensive fighting is being waged alongside a broad coalition known as the Ethiopian People’s Forces Cooperation for Survival. The alliance brings together the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), the Amhara Fano National Movement, the Oromo Liberation Army, the Ogaden National Liberation Front, the Afar Revolutionary Democratic Front, the Benishangul Peoples’ Liberation Movement, and the Gumuz Peoples’ Democratic Movement.
During a press conference addressed to the people of Tigray, Dr. Debretsion accused Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of initiating the new offensive to cement his political power, describing the renewed clashes over the past week as a continuation of a “genocidal war.”
“Ever since he seized power, he started this by stating that he could not consolidate his kingdom without destroying Tigray,” the Tigrayan president said, claiming the Ethiopian leader had dismantled the constitution and sought a military victory to “celebrate his reign.”
Dr. Debretsion framed the collapse of the previous pause in hostilities—which had been attributed to peace efforts—as part of a broader regional crisis. He specifically alleged military involvement by the UAE and other unnamed foreign actors, linking the renewed fighting in Tigray to wider geopolitical struggles, including the ongoing war in Sudan and the international battle for control over the Red Sea.
“Because of this, we cannot view our war in isolation or separate it from the broader regional conflict and regional interests,” Dr. Debretsion noted, reiterating his warning that the alliance’s present defensive stance will inevitably escalate into full-scale counter-attacks and major offensives in due course.
