As tensions flare in a contested zone in northern Ethiopia, more than 50,000 individuals have been uprooted, according to the United Nations. The escalating violence involves combatants from rival territories, prompting international apprehension.
“The number of people displaced by the armed clashes in Alamata Town, and Raya Alamata, Zata and Ofla… since 13/14 April has reached more than 50,000,” the UN said late Monday, citing local authorities in the disputed area, which is claimed by Tigray and neighbouring Amhara.
“The humanitarian plight is severe, with numerous women and children urgently requiring comprehensive humanitarian assistance for survival,” the UN emphasized.
Amhara forces had seized control of Raya Alamata in southern Tigray during a two-year conflict between Ethiopia’s central government and regional Tigrayan authorities.
Per a peace accord between Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s administration and Tigrayan counterparts, Amhara forces—aligned with federal troops during the conflict—were slated to withdraw from Raya Alamata following the agreement inked in Pretoria in November 2022.
No responses were forthcoming from either the federal government or Tigrayan authorities in relation to AFP inquiries. Independent verification of the ground situation remains unfeasible due to stringent media limitations on access to northern Ethiopia.
The news of skirmishes has spurred alarm within the global community, with several nations’ embassies, including the United States, Japan, Britain, and France, issuing calls on Saturday for dialogue and urging the “de-escalation and safeguarding of civilians.”
Throughout the conflict, Amhara forces had seized and maintained control over western Tigray, a contentious area claimed by both territories.
Since April 2023, clashes have plagued Amhara, Ethiopia’s second most populous region, following the federal government’s decision to disband regional forces nationwide, triggering unrest.
Amhara nationalists, feeling aggrieved by the Tigray peace agreement, viewed the move as a detriment to their region’s stability.
