Ethiopian government-aligned force claims near-full control of Tigray as fighting flares

An armed group aligned with the Ethiopian government has claimed it is close to gaining full control of the conflict-stricken northern Tigray region, as violence flares again across northern Ethiopia and the humanitarian situation deteriorates for millions. The commander of the Tigray Peace Forces (TPF) declared on social media late on Thursday that Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) forces had been “wiped out” — a claim that could not be independently verified.

The claim came after fighting resumed in September between Ethiopian federal forces — including the TPF — and an opposition alliance led by the TPLF, exposing the collapse of a 2022 peace deal that had ended the previous war. Residents told Reuters on Friday that government forces were closing on the regional capital, Mekelle. TPLF chairperson Debretsion Gebremichael acknowledged on Thursday that federal forces had occupied parts of the region but said his forces would counter-attack “in due course”.

Pro-government forces have made quick advances since fighting erupted last week. On September 20, seven armed and political groups announced an alliance aimed at removing Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s administration and establishing an inclusive transitional government. The African Union reported last month that Tigrayan forces had seized airports in Mekelle, Axum and Shire and detained federal personnel, disrupting civilian air services. Fighting has spread from southern Tigray into the neighbouring Amhara and Afar regions.

The conflict is also provoking diplomatic spats. Ethiopian military officials have accused Eritrea, Egypt and Sudan of supporting the Tigrayan-led fighting alliance — accusations all three deny — leading to tit-for-tat expulsions of diplomats between Ethiopia, Eritrea and Egypt. The African Union has called for “maximum restraint” and urged the countries to “refrain from actions or statements that could further escalate tensions and undermine regional peace”.

Meanwhile, civilians are paying the price. The region is home to between six and seven million people “living amid electricity cuts, internet blackouts and a total lack of communications”, according to Al Jazeera’s Ethiopia bureau chief. Some civilians, fearing the fighting could move into major urban centres, have begun fleeing to Amhara and Afar. Aid agencies, including the United Nations, have relocated some operations to newly secured areas in an effort to maintain minimum humanitarian access.

Al Jazeera’s bureau chief noted the TPF commander’s remarks “shed light on a new phase of this conflict” — with the federal army in full support of the TPF while the original TPLF still holds several towns and maintains links with Eritrea along more than 800 km of frontier. “That raises the prospect of the conflict increasingly becoming an internal struggle among Tigrayans themselves,” he observed.