Ethiopian forces seize strategic Tigray town

Ethiopian government forces and allied militias claim they have captured a strategic town in the northern Tigray region. The pro-government Tigrai Peace Force announced the seizure of Alamata, a key urban center south of Tigray's capital, Mekelle. Diplomatic sources have corroborated the town's fall, with reports indicating opposition forces are retreating. Alamata holds strategic importance as a vital supply hub near Tigray's southern border with Amhara region. Its capture represents a major advantage for federal forces as they push towards Mekelle. This latest escalation of fighting between Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) shatters a fragile four-year-old peace deal. The peace agreement, signed in November 2022, is reportedly in collapse, following a recent offensive by opposition forces. The renewed conflict sparks grave concerns about a return to the severe humanitarian crisis that characterized the 2020-2022 civil war. Aid organizations report a sharp increase in war-wounded patients in hospitals across the region. They are also monitoring significant community displacement as people flee the intensifying hostilities. The European Union expressed deep concern over the deteriorating situation and pledged substantial humanitarian funding to assist those affected by the conflict and displacement. International calls for immediate de-escalation, protection of civilians, and unimpeded humanitarian access are growing amidst fears of a broader war in the Horn of Africa.