Al Jazeera reports that the 2022 Pretoria Peace Agreement, signed by the Ethiopian federal government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) to end a two-year war, has left many key disputes unresolved. Since 2024, the TPLF has politically and organizationally repositioned itself, while retaining military influence and developing new relationships. In January 2026, Tigray Defense Forces (TDF) troops crossed the Tekeze River into the disputed Tselemt region, clashing with Ethiopian federal forces; in May, the Tigray Regional Council reconvened and elected Debretsion Gebremichael as president, solidifying his faction's position; in August, fighting re-erupted in Western Tigray near the Sudanese border, a serious violation of the peace agreement. Additionally, there are reports of increased contact between Eritrea and the TPLF, and the formation of Tsimdo, a loose alliance of several groups opposing the federal government.