Four years after the end of the civil war and the signing of the peace accord in November 2022, Tigray finds itself in the midst of a deep political crisis. Several provisions of the peace accord have not been implemented. West Tigray remains occupied, preventing some 760,000 internally displaced people from returning. The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) has split into rival factions, and the Tigray Defense Force (TDF) is also divided. In 2025, a new armed faction emerged, the Tigray Peace Force (TPF), consisting of fighters dissatisfied with the TPLF's rule and enjoying tacit support from the federal authorities.
Additionally, a stalemate has developed between the federal government and the TPLF. Following the TPLF's seizure of power in March 2025, the relationship with the federal government deteriorated sharply. After armed confrontations between the federal army and the TDF occurred in Tselemti in January 2026 for the first time since the end of the war, reports emerged regarding the mobilization of federal and Tigrayan troops along the border between the area controlled by the interim government and West Tigray. The TDF also reinforced its forces in South and Southeast Tigray. The relationship between the federal government and the TDF reached a complete breakdown when the latter decided to reinstate the pre-war regional government. A week before the national elections, the electoral council decided that no elections would take place in Tigray.
Against this backdrop of increased political and military tensions, a campaign of forced recruitment is taking place throughout Tigray. Starting in March 2026, reports emerge of the forced military recruitment of civilians by the TPLF, initially in Northwest Tigray but from May 2026 throughout the entire region.
For the period from January 1, 2025, to mid-June 2026, ACLED recorded 110 incidents in Tigray. Of these, ACLED classified 55 incidents as battles, 12 as explosions or remote violence, and 43 as violence against civilians. ACLED recorded 176 fatalities. During the investigation period, ACLED counted 47 incidents of violence where civilians were the sole target (civilian targeting), resulting in a total of 32 civilian deaths. The TDF were the primary actor of violence directed against civilians.
As of 2026, Tigray finds itself in a state of economic disruption. Public services are functioning only partially, infrastructure remains in ruins, and humanitarian logistics, medicine supply chains, and transport infrastructure remain disrupted. The region is struggling with a chronic fuel shortage, preventing ambulances from deploying and humanitarian aid from reaching those in need. Budgetary transfers to Tigray have been repeatedly suspended, which has led, among other things, to months-long delays in salary payments to teachers and civil servants.
Policy
The policy implemented by the Commissioner General is based on a thorough analysis of accurate and up-to-date information on the general situation in the country of origin. This information is collated in a professional manner from various, objective sources, including the EUAA, the UNHCR, relevant international human rights organisations, non-governmental organisations, professional literature and coverage in the media. When determining policy, the Commissioner General does not only examine the COI Focuses written by Cedoca and published on this website, as these deal with just one aspect of the general situation in the country of origin. The fact that a COI Focus could be out-of-date does not mean that the policy that is being implemented by the Commissioner General is no longer up-to-date.
When assessing an application for asylum, the Commissioner General not only considers the actual situation in the country of origin at the moment of decision-making, he also takes into account the individual situation and personal circumstances of the applicant for international protection. Every asylum application is examined individually. An applicant must comprehensively demonstrate that he has a well-founded fear of persecution or that there is a clear personal risk of serious harm. He cannot, therefore, simply refer back to the general conditions in his country, but must also present concrete, credible and personal facts.
There is no policy paper for this country available on the website.