Civilian Toll Mounts as Fighting Intensifies in Ethiopia’s Tigray Region

As violent clashes spread across northern Ethiopia, civilians are finding themselves trapped between federal forces and rebel alliances, with communication blackouts hindering independent verification of the escalating crisis. Eyewitness accounts obtained by Deutsche Welle indicate a growing humanitarian toll as heavy weaponry is deployed in populated areas.

In the town of Selenwuha, a 22-year-old resident reported losing six family members when shelling struck their home. Survivors, including the wounded, remain confined indoors without access to medical care or transportation, as the nearest treatment facilities are too distant to reach.

Strategic developments on the ground remain fluid. While pro-government militias and affiliated media claim the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) seized the town of Alamata on September 27, this advance was also corroborated by the US-based Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED). Alamata, located 120 kilometers south of the regional capital Mekelle, is a key logistical hub on a major highway that changed hands multiple times during the 2020-2022 civil war.

However, residents of Alamata accuse federal forces of deliberately targeting civilians. A 40-year-old local stated that militia members claimed the artillery strikes were retaliatory acts against the community. Another resident, aged 45, alleged the attack was timed to maximize casualties during the busy opening hours of the Saturday market, where 11 people were killed and 15 injured. These claims could not be independently verified, and an ENDF spokesperson had not responded to requests for comment at the time of publication.

The current violence erupted on September 23, following the formation of a new alliance between the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and six other armed groups, including the Amhara Fano National Movement, which previously supported federal troops. The coalition aims to overthrow Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government. In response, Tigrayan forces have reportedly seized control of airports in Mekelle, Aksum, and Shire, while also advancing into the Afar region near Erebti, a move analysts suggest threatens Ethiopia’s primary trade corridors.

Both sides blame each other for initiating the latest escalation, portraying their actions as defensive. The conflict has reignited long-standing grievances from the 2020-2022 war, which killed between 162,000 and 600,000 people under the now-fractured Pretoria Agreement. Unimplemented provisions regarding disputed territories and displaced persons, coupled with political tensions following the TPLF’s exclusion from national elections, have fueled the renewed hostilities.

Humanitarian concerns are mounting as essential services collapse. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) reported evacuating only approximately 160 individuals, including federal police, airline staff, and African Union monitors. Supply chain disruptions have caused dramatic price increases for goods, prompting residents to stockpile essentials like flour.

Legal experts warn that attacks on hospitals, schools, and religious institutions constitute war crimes under both international law and Ethiopia’s penal code. Amdegebreal Admassu, an Ethiopian lawyer, noted that these facilities often serve as shelters, making them either accidental or deliberate targets. Meanwhile, Mebrihi Birhane of Human Rights First Ethiopia emphasized the obligation of all armed groups to ensure civilian access to essential services.

Fears persist that the conflict could widen, potentially drawing in neighboring countries in the Horn of Africa, as Prime Minister Abiy has accused regional states of supporting rebel forces.