Ethiopia conflict expands into Amhara and Afar regions

Fighting in northern Ethiopia has intensified and expanded beyond the Tigray region into the neighboring Amhara and Afar regions. The escalation has displaced an estimated 150,000 people and disrupted essential services, with telecommunications cuts and the suspension of commercial flights reported in much of Tigray.

Conflict fronts are active in several areas: government-aligned forces recently captured the strategic town of Alamata in southern Tigray, while Tigrayan forces have advanced into the Afar region. Fighting is also occurring near the Tekeze River in western Tigray and in northern Amhara zones including Kobo, Gidan, and Sekota.

International responses have emerged from Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Qatar has called for an immediate halt to hostilities and a return to dialogue to protect Ethiopia’s sovereignty and regional stability. Conversely, the UAE has expressed solidarity with Ethiopia’s federal government, condemning attacks by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and allied groups, and rejecting attempts to change the country’s constitutional order through force.