Ethiopia’s federal army has taken control of five towns deep inside Tigray, as fighting intensified in neighbouring Afar, where government and regional forces are seeking to retake Abala and Eribti after the Tigray People’s Liberation Front and its allies recently captured them. The advance into Tigray came after the Ethiopian army took Alamata in the south of the region and continued moving towards Mehoni and Maichew.
Federal operations expand in Tigray and Afar
Later field reports said the number of towns entered by federal forces had risen to five, as operations continued in areas along the route leading deeper into the region. Meanwhile, the fiercest clashes were concentrated in Afar, particularly around Abala and Eribti, near the border with Tigray.
Federal and Afar forces are fighting to retake the two towns after Front fighters and their allies advanced into them, widening the fighting beyond Tigray’s borders. Field reports on 27 September said Tigray forces had taken control of three towns in Afar, with the front line extending between 80 and 90 kilometres.
Mohammed Hussein, head of the region’s ruling party, said at the time that thousands of civilians were trapped inside the towns, accusing Tigray forces of using them as human shields — an allegation attributed to him. In Abala, which has more than 50,000 residents, reports had previously said the town was under siege as fighting continued.
As for Eribti, a field commander confirmed that it had fallen to Tigray Front fighters over the weekend. An official with the Tigray Peace Force, a faction that broke away from the Front and is allied with federal forces in Afar, also acknowledged that the Front had taken control of the town, but denied that the operation had followed heavy fighting.
Djibouti route and displacement worsen impact of fighting
The Afar front is important because it is close to the road linking Ethiopia to Djibouti, through which most of the country’s international imports pass, including fuel shipments and basic goods. Sources said Front fighters moved towards Afdera after taking Eribti, a town about 100 kilometres to the east. The battles were accompanied by a wave of displacement from affected areas.
The escalation disrupted transport and communications services in northern Ethiopia, with roads linking Tigray and Afar closed to civilian traffic and internet services disrupted in parts of the north. Flights to the region also stopped after Tigray forces took control of airports in Mekelle, Aksum and Shire.
Guterres calls for civilian protection and de-escalation
UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned on 23 September of the rapid deterioration of the situation in northern Ethiopia, calling on all parties to exercise maximum restraint, immediately de-escalate, protect civilians and ensure that humanitarian aid could reach people safely and without obstruction.
The clashes followed the formation of an alliance bringing together seven armed groups opposed to the federal government, including the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, the Amhara Fano National Movement and the Oromo Liberation Army. The alliance said its aim was to overthrow Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government, while federal forces and the Front traded accusations over responsibility for the resumption of fighting.
The escalation threatens to collapse the Pretoria peace agreement, signed by the Ethiopian government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front in November 2022, which ended a war that lasted two years.
The current clashes have expanded to the regions of Tigray, Amhara and Afar, with military movements continuing on several fronts in the north of the country.
