A look at how Ethiopia’s wars, sea ambitions and Nile dam fuel fears of wider conflict

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who received the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize for making peace with neighboring Eritrea, is now facing rising tensions and an unraveled alliance with the country. Just a year after the peace agreement, the two nations' armies had joined forces against Tigrayan fighters in northern Ethiopia.

This breakdown in relations occurs amid a broader context of internal wars, regional sea ambitions, and disputes over the Nile dam. These compounding factors have fueled international fears of a renewed, wider conflict in the already war-torn Horn of Africa region as Abiy navigates a shifting landscape of political and military alliances.