Ethiopian conflict triggers panic-buying in Tigray

Tigrayans in northern Ethiopian were panic-buying on Thursday as a fresh conflict erupted between their region's fighters and the federal government, driving up prices.

Tigray rebels say they are once again in a "full-blown war" with the federal government after seizing local airports and launching attacks into neighbouring Afar and Amhara states on Wednesday.

They say it is a defensive action after months of attacks by federal forces, raising fears of a return to the devastating 2020-2022 civil war that 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 the Tigray 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, adding that he lost a younger brother in the last war.

One Mekelle resident, Gebretsadik Abraha, 35, said fuel prices -- already high due to restrictions imposed by the federal government on the region -- had risen from 400 birr ($2.45) per litre to 650 ($4) with the start of fighting 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.

Others said there had been a spike in prices for basic commodities like flour and cooking oil.

"These are dark times. The poor are suffering severely and facing hunger. May God give us mercy," said another resident, Kaleta Gebru, 50.

The peace agreement that ended the last civil war in 2022 was never properly implemented and relations with the federal government have remained highly 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.