Ethiopia's Tigray conflict escalates, civilians bear the brunt
Renewed fighting between Ethiopian federal forces and Tigrayan forces has left civilians dead and cut off from aid, as communication blackouts hamper reporting from the region.
Weeks of intensifying combat between Ethiopia's federal army and an alliance of Tigrayan forces have taken a heavy toll on civilians in the country's north. With internet and phone networks largely down, verified information from the area is scarce, but eyewitnesses reached by Deutsche Welle described a worsening humanitarian situation.
A woman from the town of Selenwuha said heavy shelling on residential areas killed six of her relatives, while survivors, including the wounded, remain trapped at home without access to medical care, since the nearest treatment facility is far away.
Battles over key towns
According to residents and pro-government sources, federal forces (ENDF) seized the strategic southern Tigray town of Alamata on September 27, a development also recorded by the conflict-monitoring group ACLED. Several residents allege the attack deliberately targeted civilians, including one that reportedly killed 11 people and wounded 15 during a Saturday market. These claims could not be independently verified, and the army did not respond to a request for comment.
Meanwhile, federal troops are said to be advancing toward the regional capital, Mekelle, while Tigrayan fighters are defending other towns in the south.
Roots of the conflict
Fighting flared after the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), joined by several allied groups including the previously pro-government Amhara Fano movement, seized airports in multiple regional hubs on September 23. Both the federal government and Tigrayan forces blame each other for the escalation. The prior 2020-2022 war, which killed between 162,000 and 600,000 people depending on the source, formally ended with the 2022 Pretoria Agreement, though key provisions were never implemented.
The International Committee of the Red Cross has managed to evacuate only around 160 people from Tigray. Rights advocates warn that hospitals, schools and religious sites are being hit — deliberately or otherwise — which could constitute war crimes. Meanwhile, prices for basic goods are rising sharply as supply routes are disrupted.
