Clashes Erupt in Ethiopia's Disputed Raya Alamata District

Violent clashes have broken out in the disputed Raya Alamata district between the Tigray and Amhara regions of Ethiopia. The area was previously under the control of southern Tigray before the war began in 2020, but has since been occupied by Amhara forces.

Residents reported fighting starting over the weekend and continuing for days. The Raya Alamata woreda administrator, Mola Derbew, accused Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) fighters of launching an attack and seizing control of the majority of the woreda's territory. Derbew stated that the Tigray regional forces orchestrated the attack, which began on Saturday and continued until late Monday, resulting in injuries and fatalities among unarmed civilians.

However, the administrator of the southern zone of the Tigray region, Habtu Kiros, denied the report, stating that there were no large-scale clashes, only a minor incident provoked by forces in the Raya Alamata woreda. Kiros said that on Saturday and Sunday, Tigrayan protesters demanding the implementation of the Pretoria Agreement marched long distances on foot, starting from the towns of Mahoni and Maichew, and proceeded to areas where there were federal forces checkpoints.

Amhara officials have accused TPLF fighters of launching offensives, while Tigrayan leaders have accused Amhara militiamen of opening fire first. The Amhara National Movement (Nama) has accused the TPLF of 'invading' the disputed area, while the head of the provisional administration of Tigray has blamed the recent incidents on local conflicts, not conflicts between Tigray forces and the federal government or neighboring regions.

Why this matters: The clashes in Raya Alamata have raised fears that the crisis could further complicate the ongoing conflict in the Amhara region between federal armed forces and local militias known as Fano. The situation remains tense, with no clear information on casualties, and the federal government has said the army will control the disputed areas until a resolution is reached.

The outcome of the fighting is unclear, but the clashes have reportedly occurred between TPLF forces and local militia in the Raya Alamata area. Despite the Pretoria agreement, the TPLF is said to still have 270,000 armed combatants, and they have allegedly taken control of several kebeles near Alamata town. Locals have accused the federal government of facilitating the TPLF's control of the area, but the federal government and the Amhara regional state have not yet commented on the military developments in Raya.

Key Takeaways

• Violent clashes broke out in the disputed Raya Alamata district between Tigray and Amhara regions.
• Tigray accused of launching attack, Amhara of opening fire first; federal govt to control area.
• Clashes raise fears of escalating conflict in Amhara region between federal forces and local militias.
• TPLF allegedly controls several kebeles near Alamata town, despite the Pretoria agreement.
• Locals accuse federal govt of facilitating TPLF's control of the area, but govt has not commented.