Hundreds of ethnic Tigrayans from Ethiopia who served in a UN peacekeeping force Joined TPLF

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Hundreds of ethnic Tigrayans from Ethiopia who served in a United Nations peacekeeping force have joined a battle for a strategic town in the northwest of the country, according to people familiar with the matter, the latest twist in an internal conflict that erupted in late 2020.

The fighting has pitted Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s forces against soldiers loyal to the Tigray region’s ruling Tigray People’s Liberation Front. While a truce was agreed five months ago, each side has accused the other of carrying out fresh attacks, raising fears of a return to all-out war.

 


The capture of the town of Humera, which lies at an intersection between Ethiopia, Eritrea and Sudan, by the Tigrayans would be a significant development because it would enable the TPLF to open up weapons-supply corridors and potentially launch an attack on Eritrea, a long-standing foe.

The ex-peacekeepers refused to return to Ethiopia earlier this year after completing a mission in Abyei, a border region contested by Sudan and South Sudan. They’ve since found refuge in Sudan, where they applied for asylum and prepared to join the war, according to five people with knowledge of the situation who asked not to be identified because they aren’t authorized to speak to the media.

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