// BBC WORLD NEWS — MONDO
Are Ethiopians marching back to war in Tigray?
Tigrayan forces have been patrolling the streets of Tigray's capital, Mekelle, this week
Fighting has erupted in Ethiopia's northern region of Tigray between regional forces and the national army.
Tigray residents, who have been trying to recover from a brutal two-year war that ended in 2022, fear a return to full-scale conflict.
There are reports of panic buying - and now internet and call services have been disrupted.
This means people cannot get access to their money via digital apps in what has become a largely cashless society after ATMs stopped working several months ago.
It follows more than six months of worsening relations between the government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), the party that runs Tigray.
The African Union (AU) brokered a peace deal, known as the Pretoria Agreement, between the two sides, ending the war nearly four years ago - but several issues have remained unresolved that have inflamed tensions.
This year, both sides have been trading blame while troops have mobilised amid pockets of fighting.
This week, major clashes erupted in Tigray and quickly spread into the neighbouring Afar and Amhara regions. The two sides disagree over who started the latest escalation.
The TPLF says it was responding to a federal offensive, including drone strikes, while the government says Tigrayan forces attacked first after seizing control of airports in Tigray.