Ethiopian Forces Capture Strategic Tigray Town As Fighting Escalates

Ethiopian government forces and allied militias have captured the strategic town of Alamata in southern Tigray, according to pro-government forces and diplomatic sources. The development comes amid renewed fighting between federal forces and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), raising fears that Ethiopia could return to a wider conflict similar to the 2020–2022 Tigray war. Alamata is an important supply and transport route, while renewed violence has already caused casualties, displacement and difficulties for humanitarian operations. The escalation is also putting further pressure on the 2022 peace agreement that ended the previous war.

GOVERNMENT FORCES TAKE ALAMATA

Ethiopian government forces and allied militias have captured the strategic town of Alamata in the southern part of the Tigray region, according to pro-government forces and diplomatic sources, as renewed fighting between federal troops and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) intensifies.
The capture marks a significant development in the latest fighting and represents a setback for Tigrayan forces, which launched a major offensive against the federal government last week.
Alamata is located about 120 kilometres south of Mekelle, the capital of Tigray, and sits close to the border with the neighbouring Amhara region. The town is an important supply route for troops, food and fuel and has changed hands several times during Ethiopia's previous Tigray war.
Reuters reported that video released by the pro-government Tigrai Peace Force showed soldiers marching through Alamata while carrying Ethiopian flags. Reuters initially said it could not independently verify the video, while two diplomatic sources confirmed that the town had fallen. A third source said government forces had entered but it was initially unclear whether they had established complete control.

FIGHTING HAS SPREAD ACROSS NORTHERN ETHIOPIA

The latest clashes began last week after Tigrayan forces launched attacks in several areas, including parts of the neighbouring Amhara and Afar regions.
The renewed violence has raised fears that Ethiopia could again descend into a large-scale conflict similar to the devastating 2020-2022 Tigray war.
The TPLF has recently formed an alliance with six other armed groups, calling for political change and seeking to challenge Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government.
The latest offensive initially gave Tigrayan forces gains in several locations. They captured the strategic town of Erebti in the Afar region and pushed towards areas that are important for Ethiopia's supply routes.
The Ethiopian military has responded with counter-offensives, including operations in Amhara and Tigray.

ALAMATA IS A KEY SUPPLY HUB

The importance of Alamata goes beyond its size.
The town lies on a major road linking southern Ethiopia with Tigray and is an important route for moving supplies into the region.
Its location makes it strategically important to both sides because control of the town can influence the movement of soldiers, food, fuel and other supplies.
The town was also repeatedly contested during the 2020-2022 war, when it changed hands between federal and Tigrayan forces.
The capture therefore gives federal forces a strategically important position as they seek to push towards Mekelle.

TPLF AND GOVERNMENT HAVE DIFFERENT ACCOUNTS

The Ethiopian government and the TPLF have blamed each other for the renewed fighting.
Federal authorities have accused the TPLF of launching a new offensive and attempting to destabilise the country.
The TPLF, meanwhile, has accused the federal government of violating the peace arrangements that ended the previous war.
The latest developments are unfolding amid a communications blackout in parts of Tigray, making it difficult to independently verify battlefield claims and obtain reliable information about casualties.

PEACE AGREEMENT UNDER SERIOUS PRESSURE

The renewed conflict threatens the November 2022 Pretoria Agreement, which ended the two-year Tigray war.
That conflict was one of Africa's deadliest recent wars and resulted in enormous civilian suffering, including deaths, displacement, hunger and the destruction of healthcare and other essential services.
The agreement brought a formal end to the fighting and established a process for disarming Tigrayan forces and restoring normal political and administrative relations.
However, tensions between the federal government and Tigrayan authorities have remained high, with both sides accusing each other of failing to fully implement the agreement.

FEARS OF A RETURN TO WAR

The latest escalation has revived fears of another prolonged conflict.
The previous Tigray war killed an estimated hundreds of thousands of people and left the region facing severe humanitarian problems.
The situation remains particularly fragile because many communities have not fully recovered from the earlier conflict. The region has also faced displacement, shortages and drought-related pressures.
Reuters reported that about 750,000 people in Tigray were still internally displaced as of February, according to the UN refugee agency.
Humanitarian organisations are now facing renewed difficulties as fighting disrupts roads, communications and access to affected communities.

REGIONAL POWERS DRAWN INTO THE CRISIS

The renewed fighting is also raising concerns beyond Ethiopia's borders.
Ethiopian military chief Field Marshal Berhanu Jula has accused Eritrea, Sudan and Egypt of supporting forces opposed to the Ethiopian government.
Eritrea and Sudan's military have denied the allegations, while Egypt did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The accusations are particularly sensitive because Ethiopia already has tense relations with Eritrea, while Sudan is itself experiencing a devastating civil war.
Any wider involvement by neighbouring countries could make the conflict more difficult to contain.

CIVILIANS FACE NEW DANGERS

The renewed fighting is already creating humanitarian concerns.
Medical organisations have reported rising numbers of wounded people arriving at hospitals in and around the conflict zone. AP reported that Médecins Sans Frontières had recorded hundreds of wounded patients in hospitals in Korem and Alamata during a 48-hour period, while displacement was also increasing.
Communications disruptions are making the situation even more difficult for civilians trying to contact relatives or obtain information.
The humanitarian consequences could become more severe if fighting continues along major supply routes or spreads towards heavily populated areas.

ETHIOPIA FACES A CRITICAL MOMENT

The capture of Alamata gives federal forces an important position in southern Tigray, but it does not by itself end the conflict.
Tigrayan forces remain active in several areas, while fighting has also spread into Amhara and Afar.
The central question now is whether the latest clashes will remain limited or develop into a wider conflict involving additional armed groups and neighbouring countries.
For civilians in Tigray, the immediate concern is whether another prolonged war will undo the fragile recovery that followed the 2022 peace agreement.
The developments around Alamata therefore represent not only a change on the battlefield but also a major test of whether Ethiopia can prevent the return of a conflict that previously caused enormous human suffering.