ADDIS ABABA — Fighting has intensified in Ethiopia following an offensive by Tigrayan forces into Afar and Amhara states and the formation of a new rebel alliance targeting the government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
Seven armed groups, including the Tigray People's Liberation Front, announced Sunday the creation of the Ethiopian Peoples' Forces Alliance for Survival. The alliance said its goal is to overthrow the government in Addis Ababa.
The TPLF seized control of three airports from federal police on Wednesday. State-owned Ethiopian Airlines subsequently suspended flights to the region, citing "the current situation."
Humanitarian sources in Afar reported heavy artillery attacks by the TPLF on Thursday as the group attempted to take the town of Yallo, located near the Tigrayan border. Flights to the historic town of Lalibela were also suspended Thursday due to fighting nearby.
Residents in Tigray have begun stocking up on food and cash. One resident of Adigrat, a city close to the Eritrean border, described panic-buying and emptying shops, noting that food shortages are worsening and essential medicines remain scarce and expensive.
Amanuel Assefa, vice-president of the TPLF, confirmed the widespread conflict. "We are in the situation of full-blown war now," Assefa told Agence France-Presse, adding that Tigrayan forces are fighting alongside local armed groups in Afar and Amhara.
A foreign security source in Ethiopia reported that the TPLF took control of Abala, on the Tigray-Afar border, on Wednesday. A TPLF source also claimed the seizure of several other towns in Afar. Fighting was also reported around Weldiya, an Amhara town that represents one of the few routes to the capital.
The Ethiopian army issued its first public comments Thursday, stating it had foiled the attacks. The army claimed it had killed, wounded or captured more than 500 enemy fighters.
The current escalation follows a devastating war between the Ethiopian army and the TPLF from 2020 to 2022, which resulted in an estimated 600,000 deaths. Both sides now accuse the other of initiating the return to open conflict.
Analysts suggest the TPLF receives support from Eritrea, Ethiopia's neighbor and historic adversary. Eritrea reportedly fears that landlocked Ethiopia plans an invasion to gain access to the Red Sea. When asked about Eritrea's role, Assefa said, "we have no information about Eritrea's plan." He added, when questioned about requesting Eritrean intervention, "Not yet."
