Most Dangerous Countries Face Renewed War as Ethiopia Peace Deal Shatters
Renewed fighting has broken out across several most dangerous countries, shattering the 2022 peace deal that ended the Tigray war while separate conflicts escalate in Yemen with Houthi assaults, in Afghanistan with a downed Pakistani drone, and in Nigeria where authorities demand urgent security intervention over community killings.
Ethiopia Peace Deal Collapses Amid Renewed Tigray Fighting
Tigray People's Liberation Front forces seized control of airports in Mekelle, Shire and Axum. [5] The TPLF confirmed they are in full-blown war with Ethiopian federal forces. [5] Tigrayan forces are fighting in Afar and Amhara regions alongside local groups as part of a new anti-government alliance. [5] The federal government has significant military advantages, having ramped up production of military drones since the last conflict. [5] Ethiopian authorities have accused the TPLF of allying with neighbouring Eritrea, which it denies. [5] The TPLF ruled Ethiopia from 1991 to 2018 before being sidelined with the rise of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. [5]
International Calls for De-Escalation in Ethiopia
The EU called for immediate de-escalation in Ethiopia. [5] The EU condemned strikes on humanitarian convoys. [5] The conflict risks widening regionally with over 1 million still displaced from the prior war. [5] The two sides accuse each other of triggering a return to open conflict with attacks this week. [5] The Pretoria Peace Agreement ended the war and maintained an uneasy calm until late 2025, when clashes resumed. [5] The federal government has since launched drone strikes in Tigray and massed troops at the regional border. [5] Rights groups have accused the TPLF of a campaign of forced recruitment this year. [5] The region has not recovered from the last war, with many aspects of the peace agreement unfulfilled. [5]
Yemen Civil War Flare-Up Sees Houthi Assaults Repelled
Yemeni government forces repelled overnight Houthi attacks on the critical Hejat al-Abd supply route linking Taiz and Aden. [4] The steep, winding mountain pass is a lifeline for forces fighting on behalf of Yemen's government. [4] The road is also critical for goods entering Taiz and its southern and western rural areas. [4] It is the only route for residents seeking to travel abroad, with no commercial flights operating from Houthi-controlled areas. [4] The latest fighting marks a sharp escalation in Yemen's civil war, which had largely been frozen since a 2022 truce. [4] More than 700 people have been killed and thousands wounded in the latest fighting, according to the United Nations. [4] Nearly 130,000 Yemenis have been displaced within the country, while more than 3,000 have fled by boat across the Red Sea to Africa. [4] The Houthis have kept up pressure on government forces as they seek to consolidate gains made nearly two weeks ago. [4]
Pakistan Drone Downed in Afghanistan as Tensions Rise
A Pakistani drone was shot down in Afghanistan's Helmand province by Taliban forces days after Pakistani airstrikes. [2] Taliban-linked media claimed the group’s forces shot down an armed Pakistani drone in Afghanistan’s southern Helmand province. [2] The incident heightens cross-border tensions. [2]
Nigeria's Plateau State Demands Urgent Security Action
Plateau State House of Assembly called for immediate emergency security intervention in Barkin Ladi following recent attacks. [1] The lawmakers demanded the full occupation of the Mobile Police Barracks in Gashish. [1] They urged the provision of urgent infrastructure repairs and humanitarian assistance to communities affected by the attacks. [1] The Assembly called on Governor Caleb Mutfwang to engage President Bola Tinubu and the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Ridwan Disu, to facilitate the intervention. [1] The House has commenced consideration of a Bill seeking to amend the 1999 Constitution to provide for the establishment of State Police Services. [1] Speaker of the House, Naanlong Daniel, directed the Clerk to read the Bill for the first time. [1]
Broader Global Conflict Risks and Responses in Most Dangerous Countries
These dispersed incidents contribute to heightened global instability in multiple regions. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] The European Union is deeply concerned by the rapidly deteriorating situation in northern Ethiopia and its impact on the population. [5] ACLED said Tigrayan forces had attacked positions in the Amhara region and were working alongside a local insurgent group known as the Fano. [5] The TPLF vice president Amanuel Assefa told AFP that the group is in the situation of full-blown war now. [5] Humanitarian workers in Afar told AFP of fighting between TPLF and federal forces in Abala and the town of Erebti. [5]
What to watch next: The Assembly also commenced consideration of several other bills during the sitting, including one seeking to repeal and re-enact the College of Education, Gindiri Law, 1988. [1]
