Day Long Border Battle In Western Tigray Triggers New Refugee Influx Into Conflict Torn Sudan
ADDIS ABABA / HAMDAYET – Hundreds of civilians and wounded fighters from Ethiopia’s Tigray region have fled into neighboring Sudan following heavy clashes involving artillery and drone strikes in Western Tigray.
The fighting broke out at approximately 6:00 a.m. on Saturday, August 1, near the border village of Shererina in the Western Tigray Zone, and continued until around 5:00 p.m. before de-escalating. Local security, medical, and regional sources reported that the heavy military engagement pitted the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) against Tigray forces.
According to Sudanese security and health personnel, those fleeing across the border arrived in the Sudanese border town of Hamdayet, where injured individuals received emergency first aid before being transferred to al-Hashaba (also known as Village 8), located about 15 kilometers inside Sudan. Al-Hashaba currently hosts thousands of Ethiopians displaced during the 2020–2022 Tigray war.
In a statement released regarding the confrontation, Tigray regional authorities accused federal forces of initiating an open military offensive in the area.
Conversely, federal representatives and counter-accusations suggest regional provocation, highlighting severe ongoing friction over unresolved administrative boundaries and disputed territories in Western Tigray.
The renewed border violence raises serious international concerns regarding the fragile stability of the November 2022 Pretoria Peace Agreement. International partners, including the United States and the European Union, have called on both the federal government and Tigray authorities to exercise maximum restraint and avoid further military escalation.
