Fighting Spreads Across Northern Ethiopia, Raising Regional Fears

Renewed fighting across northern Ethiopia has spread beyond Tigray into neighboring Amhara and Afar, as federal forces and allied fighters contest territory with Tigrayan-led armed groups and concern grows over possible regional spillover. Government-aligned forces said they captured the town of Alamata on September 28. Separate reporting said federal forces had retaken Mekelle’s airport after Tigrayan forces seized it during the escalation. The fighting marks a renewed phase of conflict almost four years after a peace deal ended the 2020-2022 war between the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and Ethiopia’s federal government. The sides remain divided over political control, security and disputed territory. A seven-group alliance announced on September 20 said it sought to remove Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government and establish a transitional administration, though the extent of its membership and coordinated military activity is contested. Clashes have been reported on several fronts, including in southern Tigray, parts of Amhara and areas along the Tigray-Afar border.