In the cool of an Addis Ababa morning, when the new light brushes softly against the ochre and clay of this ancient city, there is a quality of stillness that belies the weight of history. Bazaars begin to stir, children’s footsteps echo along uneven sidewalks, and somewhere overhead the distant hum of traffic drifts through the dawn. In such moments, the tumult of memory and motion that has shaped this land feels as distant as the high peaks circling the capital—steady, remote, enduring.

Yet beneath the surface, the echoes of conflict persist like footprints in fading dust. Three years after the formal end of a brutal war in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, voices that had once been quieted by treaties and ceasefires now rise again, measured but unmistakable. In the stately chamber of parliament, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed spoke with a tone shaped by reflection and strain, acknowledging for the first time what many had long whispered at home and abroad: that troops from neighbouring Eritrea, once allies in battle, were responsible for terrible acts during the conflict in Tigray. Civilians lost their lives in massacres in places like Aksum, homes were destroyed, and communities were left to stitch their days back together amid grief and uncertainty.

The words themselves — hushed yet firm — seemed to bridge two worlds: the routines of daily life in Ethiopia’s heartlands, and the deeper currents of memory that flow through towns and villages that bore the brunt of war. In Aksum, whose stone markers recall epochs before modern borders were drawn, the recollection of those dark days remains vivid in the silence between conversations, in the long lines of displaced families seeking whatever peace they can gather. The prime minister’s admission carried with it the gravity of a history reckoned in human costs — a history that, for many, is still unfinished.

What makes this moment notable is not only the recognition of past deeds but the subtle shift it suggests in relations once built on rapprochement. Ethiopia and Eritrea had walked for years toward reconciliation, crowned by gestures of peace that earned global attention and even accolades. Yet the spectre of war, woven through stories of loss and accusation, now clouds that path. The Eritrean government quickly repudiated the claims, calling them unfounded and dismissing them as unworthy of serious response. In these exchanges, the past and present have become entwined: old friendships strained, old disputes given voice in the corridors of power.

Amid these acknowledgements, the world beyond Ethiopia watches with measured concern. Flights to and from the Tigray region had been suspended recently amid renewed tensions on the ground, and residents in key towns have once again felt the disquiet of instability. Humanitarian needs, already acute from years of conflict, remain deep and unresolved. It is in these quiet spaces — the markets of Mekelle, the dusty roads leading from villages to regional capitals — that the enduring impact of the war lingers, unbound by formal accords.

This is not a story of immediate upheaval, nor one of fiery denunciations. Instead it is a narrative shaped by careful acknowledgement of what was witnessed and reported: admissions, rebuttals, and the layered, often conflicting memories carried by those who lived through the war. More than 400,000 people are estimated to have died in the conflict, and the peace agreement signed in 2022, while halting open hostilities, did not fully resolve the fractures that run deep in northern Ethiopia’s landscapes and its people’s recollections.

In calm, direct terms, the Ethiopian government has now publicly accused Eritrean military forces of committing mass killings and other abuses during the Tigray war, after years of denial from both sides. Eritrea has rejected these accusations, maintaining that they are unfounded. This development comes amid ongoing concerns about renewed clashes in parts of Tigray and reflects continuing complexities in Horn of Africa geopolitics.

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Sources (Media Names Only)

Africanews Associated Press BBC Al Jazeera Addis Standard