The commander of the Tigray Peace Forces has claimed that forces aligned with the Ethiopian government are close to securing full control of the conflict-affected Tigray region.

The commander also said on social media that forces from the Tigray People’s Liberation Front had been wiped out. The claims could not be immediately verified, and the extent of territorial control held by the opposing sides remains unclear.

The statement followed the resumption of fighting in September between Ethiopian federal forces, including the Tigray Peace Forces, and an opposition alliance led by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front.

Residents told Reuters that Ethiopian government forces were advancing towards Mekelle, Tigray’s regional capital. Debretsion Gebremichael, chairperson of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, acknowledged that federal forces had occupied parts of the region but said Tigrayan forces would launch a counter-attack “in due course”.

Fighting spreads beyond Tigray

The hostilities have extended from southern Tigray into the neighbouring Amhara and Afar regions. The African Union previously reported that Tigrayan forces had seized airports in Mekelle, Axum and Shire and detained federal personnel, disrupting civilian air services.

The renewed conflict followed the apparent collapse of a 2022 peace agreement that had ended an earlier war between Ethiopia’s federal government and forces from Tigray. On September 20, seven armed and political groups announced an alliance seeking to remove Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s administration and establish an inclusive transitional government.

Mohammed Taha Tawakel said the federal army was providing full support to the Tigray Peace Forces, while the Tigray People’s Liberation Front continued to hold several towns. He also said the group maintained a strong link with Eritrea along more than 800 kilometres of frontier.

Tawakel said the latest developments could “shed light on a new phase of this conflict” and raised the prospect of the fighting becoming increasingly an internal struggle among Tigrayans.

Humanitarian and diplomatic concerns

Tigray, home to an estimated six to seven million people, was described by Tawakel as facing electricity cuts, internet blackouts and a total lack of communications. He said some civilians had begun fleeing towards Amhara and Afar amid fears that fighting could reach major urban centres.

Aid agencies, including the United Nations, relocated some operations to newly secured areas in an effort to preserve a minimum level of humanitarian access.

Ethiopian military officials accused Eritrea, Egypt and Sudan of supporting the Tigray-led fighting alliance. Eritrea and Egypt denied accusations that they were backing efforts to destabilise Ethiopia.

The African Union called for “maximum restraint” and urged Ethiopia, Eritrea and Egypt to “refrain from actions or statements that could further escalate tensions and undermine regional peace”.