Ethiopian conflict triggers panic-buying in Tigray

Relations between Tigray and the federal government have remained volatile, with frequent drone strikes and skirmishes between their forces.(AFP) — People in northern Ethiopia’s Tigray region were panic-buying Thursday as renewed fighting between regional forces and the federal government drove up prices.Tigrayan rebels said they were once again in a “full-blown war” with the federal government after seizing local airports and launching attacks into neighboring Afar and Amhara states Wednesday.They described the offensive as a defensive response to months of attacks by federal forces. The fighting has raised fears of a return to the 2020-22 civil war, which killed an estimated 600,000 people.“A lot of people have been buying food … There is panic in the community, and prices have also risen,” said Samuel Gebreslassie, 37, who works in a spice shop in Tigray’s capital, Mekelle.“During the previous war, when banks were shut down, many people suffered terribly … There is deep fear that banks, telecom networks, electricity and basic goods could be cut off again,” Gebreslassie told AFP. He said he lost a younger brother in the war.Mekelle resident Gebretsadik Abraha, 35, said fuel prices, already high because of federal restrictions on the region, had risen from 400 birr ($2.45) per liter to 650 birr ($4) since fighting began this week.“So many people died in the previous war, and with the fighting restarting, all I foresee is another slaughter. The leaders on both sides must come to the negotiating table,” he said.Other residents reported sharp increases in the prices of staples such as flour and cooking oil.“These are dark times. The poor are suffering severely and facing hunger. May God give us mercy,” said Kaleta Gebru, 50.The peace agreement that ended the civil war in 2022 was never fully implemented. Relations between Tigray and the federal government have remained volatile, with frequent drone strikes and skirmishes between their forces.Even before the latest offensive, federal authorities had cut subsidies to the region and restricted fuel supplies.“We have already endured a siege and blockade (during the last war). If everything is shut down again, especially amid the ongoing drought, we will face dire hardship,” said Tewolde Tesfaselassie, a 35-year-old small-business owner.Subscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads