Ethiopian Pro-Govt Forces Retake Tigray Town Amid Fighting

ADDIS ABABA: Pro-government forces in Ethiopia said Monday they had retaken control of the strategic town of Alamata in southern Tigray, following several days of intense clashes with Tigrayan rebel forces across multiple fronts.

The reported capture of Alamata represents a setback for the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), which launched a series of offensives against federal and allied forces last week. The town is strategically important because it lies along a major highway linking Tigray with other parts of northern Ethiopia.

The fall of Alamata was announced on Facebook by the Tigray Peace Force, a splinter group that has aligned itself with Ethiopia’s federal government. Conflict monitor ACLED also confirmed reports that federal forces had seized control of the town.

The latest fighting has renewed fears that Ethiopia could slide back into a devastating conflict similar to the civil war that engulfed the country between 2020 and 2022. That conflict killed an estimated 600,000 people and caused widespread displacement and humanitarian suffering.

The TPLF, the main armed political force in Tigray, launched attacks last Wednesday into the neighbouring regions of Amhara and Afar, opening several fronts against government forces.

Despite losing Alamata, Tigrayan forces have reported gains elsewhere. On Sunday, the TPLF advanced in Afar and captured the town of Erebti, pushing further east toward routes that could threaten supply lines from neighbouring Djibouti.

Djibouti is particularly important to Ethiopia because it handles the majority of the country’s international trade cargo. Any sustained disruption of transport routes could therefore create significant economic and logistical pressure on the federal government.

Heavy fighting has also been reported in the Amhara region, where TPLF forces are operating alongside the local Fano militia, an armed group opposed to the federal government.

Clashes have been reported around Lalibela, the historic town famous for its rock-hewn churches and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The fighting has raised concerns over the safety of civilians as well as the protection of Ethiopia’s internationally recognised cultural heritage.

The renewed violence comes despite a 2022 peace agreement that formally ended the previous Tigray war. The latest escalation has raised questions about the durability of that settlement and increased international concern over the possibility of a wider conflict.

The situation remains fluid, with both government and Tigrayan forces claiming military advances in different areas. Independent information from the front lines remains limited, making it difficult to establish the full extent of territorial changes and casualties.