Key facts
- Ethiopian pro-government forces and allied militiamen captured the strategic town of Alamata.
- The capture of Alamata is a significant gain for federal forces advancing towards Mekelle.
Ethiopian pro-government forces and allied militiamen have captured the strategic town of Alamata in the Tigray region, according to a pro-government militia. The town's capture is a significant development in the renewed conflict that has shattered a fragile peace deal.
The renewed conflict in Ethiopia threatens to reignite a devastating civil war, potentially causing a return to widespread humanitarian crises, famine, and displacement in the Tigray region. It also adds to regional instability in the Horn of Africa.
Ethiopian pro-government forces and allied militiamen have captured the strategic town of Alamata, located south of the Tigray region's capital, Mekelle, a pro-government militia announced on Monday. The capture marks a significant gain for federal forces as they advance towards Mekelle, approximately 120 km to the north. Alamata, an important supply hub near Tigray's southern border with the Amhara region, has changed hands multiple times during the 2020-2022 civil war.
The renewed fighting, which began last Wednesday in Tigray and the neighboring Amhara and Afar regions, has shattered the November 2022 Pretoria Agreement peace deal that ended a conflict that killed hundreds of thousands of people. The TPLF, which led the armed resistance, announced a new alliance with six other armed groups aimed at overthrowing Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government just three days before launching its offensive.
The conflict exacerbates instability in the Horn of Africa, already affected by Sudan's civil war, Red Sea tensions, and spillover from Middle East conflicts. On Sunday, the top Ethiopian military commander, Berhanu Jula, reiterated previous accusations that Eritrea, Sudan's armed forces, and Egypt were supporting the opposition forces, allegations that Eritrea and Sudan's army have denied.
Internet and phone networks in Tigray remained disrupted for a fourth day, with four sources telling Reuters on Friday that the TPLF had ordered the networks shut down. The region is still recovering from the devastating humanitarian toll of the previous war, which led to famine conditions for hundreds of thousands, and faces drought linked to El Nino.
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