Armed Clashes in Tigray
On Saturday, armed clashes broke out in western Tigray between the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and Ethiopian government forces. Reportedly, the fighting continued from Saturday morning until the evening. Heavy artillery and drones are also said to have been deployed. According to observers, this marks the most serious outbreak of violence since the signing of the Pretoria Peace Agreement in 2022, which brought an end to the two-year civil war in the Tigray region between the Ethiopian federal government and the TPLF. Both sides have accused each other of initiating the fighting and violating the terms of the peace agreement.
The latest fighting followed a renewed political escalation between the parties involved. In mid-July, the TPLF declared the Pretoria Peace Agreement “effectively dead” and announced that it would not participate in the National Dialogue Conference, which began on 15 July. One of the reasons given for this move was the allegation that the federal government had failed to implement key agreements of the peace process. Furthermore, the TPLF accused Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government of having increased the pressure on Tigray through an economic blockade of the region and the use of drones. Tensions had already been heightened by Tigray’s exclusion from the parliamentary elections held in June this year (Press Review CW 23/2026) and by the TPLF’s reinstatement of the Tigray Regional State Council (Press Review CW 19/2026).
At the same time, indications of a possible military escalation became increasingly apparent. According to media reports, both sides had been stationing troops along Tigray’s regional borders in northern Ethiopia for several months and had been making preparations for a renewed armed conflict. Human Rights Watch reported that the Tigray authorities had been unlawfully recruiting civilians, including young people, since at least April 2026. At the same time, TPLF chairman Debretsion Gebremichael was accused in Ethiopian state media of mobilising the Tigrayan population for a new war.
The National Dialogue Conference forms part of the National Dialogue process initiated by the Ethiopian government, which aims to address the country’s political conflicts and fundamental points of contention through an inclusive exchange of views. The conference is intended to provide a framework for discussing key political disputes, including questions concerning Ethiopia’s future political order. The Ethiopian government and state media portray the National Dialogue more broadly as a means of fostering societal consensus and political stability. Observers, however, question the representativeness of the process, particularly due to the lack of participation by key political actors such as the TPLF. Whilst representatives from Tigray are taking part in the conference, they were not sent by the TPLF but were involved in the process through other selection channels. Given the TPLF’s political significance in the region, critics see this as a key challenge to the legitimacy and scope of the dialogue.
Kenya establishes new framework for international carbon markets
On Monday, the Kenyan government presented a new regulatory framework for Kenya’s participation in international carbon markets. The Guide for Strategic Engagement in Carbon Markets is among the most detailed national frameworks developed in Africa to date in this field. A key element of the guidance is a cap on so-called Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes (ITMOs), i.e. internationally transferred emission reductions under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. By 2030, no more than ten million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent may be transferred to other countries as ITMOs. The measure is intended to prevent Kenya from transferring more emission reductions abroad than is compatible with achieving its own climate targets. At the same time, the framework is designed to facilitate international investment in the Kenyan carbon market.
Another central component of the new framework is a three-stage approval process for projects whose emission reductions are to be transferred internationally. The procedure, which has often been described as lacking predictability, is replaced by the three phases of “No-Objection”, “Approval” and “Authorisation”. According to the government, this is intended to increase transparency, improve planning certainty for project developers, and make decision-making processes more transparent. In addition, the guidance sets out a preliminary list of priority activities that are, in principle, eligible for international transfers. These include projects in sectors such as renewable energy, transport and waste management. However, according to the authority, inclusion on the list does not constitute automatic approval but is intended merely to accelerate the assessment of projects that are aligned with Kenya’s development priorities. Forestry and land-use projects were not yet included in the list of priority activities. The reasons given are an insufficient data base and concerns regarding the permanence of stored carbon.
The new provisions form part of the gradual development of a national carbon market infrastructure. Through an amendment to the Climate Change Act in 2023 and the introduction of new carbon market regulations in 2024, Kenya established the legal basis for regulating the market. In February 2026, the country also launched a national carbon registry (Kenya National Carbon Registry), in which approved projects and transferred emission reductions are recorded. The registry is intended to increase market transparency and prevent the same emission reductions from being counted more than once. The guidance now published complements these structures by introducing a standardised procedure for the approval and transfer of emission reductions. The next planned step is the establishment of a national carbon exchange, which is expected to enable regulated trading in emission credits from 2027 onwards.
In other news
Until Saturday, the World Social Forum (WSF) is taking place in Cotonou, Benin. Under the recurring motto “Another World Is Possible”, the programme includes discussions, workshops and cultural events on global social and political issues such as climate justice, decolonisation and human rights. Around 50,000 participants from approximately 150 countries are taking part in the five-day event. For the first time since 2015, the forum is being held again on the African continent. The hosting of the event in Benin was supported by the Global Convergence of Struggles for Land and Water – West Africa, which is acting as a co-organiser this year. According to the organisers, this year’s edition aims to strengthen the inclusion of African perspectives in the debates. The World Social Forum was founded in 2001 as a counterpoint to the World Economic Forum in Davos and is taking place for the 17th time this year. It provides social movements, trade unions, non-governmental organisations and indigenous groups with a platform for exchange and networking.