Members of a Tigray forces unit known as “Army 15” staged a new protest on Thursday in the northern Ethiopian city of Adigrat, marking their second demonstration in less than a month, according to residents and local sources.
The fighters, stationed near the Eritrean border, marched through parts of the city chanting anti-war slogans, including “We will not go to war again,” “Our choice is peace,” and “We want land to live on, not land to be buried in,” the sources said.
Last month, the same group protested in Mekelle, the regional capital, over unpaid salaries and benefits. They also blocked roads linking Mekelle and Adigrat during those demonstrations.
Local authorities and opposition parties in the region have recently accused the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) of preparing for renewed conflict, including efforts to retake disputed areas. The TPLF has not publicly commented on the latest protest.
The Afar region said last week that Tigrayan fighters had crossed into its territory and taken control of six villages in Megal district. Ethiopia’s federal military subsequently carried out a drone strike targeting TPLF forces near the Tigray-Afar boundary. The TPLF acknowledged the strike and reported casualties without giving details.
Ethiopia’s army chief said earlier this month that the TPLF was violating the terms of the Pretoria peace agreement, which ended the 2020–2022 war that killed hundreds of thousands of people.
Eritrea has not commented on allegations that it is cooperating with Tigrayan fighters.
