NAIROBI, Kenya: The United Nations reported that over 50,000 individuals have been displaced due to ongoing clashes in a disputed area of northern Ethiopia, raising significant humanitarian concerns as the violence unfolds between fighters from rival regions.
The conflict, centered around Alamata Town and the areas of Raya Alamata, Zata, and Ofla, began around April 13-14 and involves disputed territories claimed by both Tigray and neighboring Amhara regions.
According to the UN, the situation has created dire humanitarian conditions, particularly affecting thousands of women and children who urgently require broad humanitarian assistance to survive.
Amhara forces previously occupied Raya Alamata in southern Tigray during a prolonged two-year war between Ethiopia’s government and regional Tigrayan authorities. Under a peace agreement signed in Pretoria in November 2022, Amhara forces were slated to withdraw from Raya Alamata. However, the recent clashes indicate ongoing tensions and challenges related to territorial control.
Efforts to independently verify the situation on the ground are constrained due to restricted media access to northern Ethiopia.
The international community has expressed deep concern over the escalating violence, with several nations, including the United States, Japan, Britain, and France, calling for dialogue, de-escalation, and the protection of civilians.
The conflict in Ethiopia has roots in broader regional disputes and internal governance issues, with clashes intensifying since April 2023 following the federal government’s decision to dismantle regional forces across the country, triggering unrest and exacerbating tensions among different ethnic groups.
Amhara nationalists, in particular, have voiced discontent over perceived regional weakening following the peace agreement with Tigray, underscoring underlying ethnic and territorial complexities driving the conflict.
