Ethiopia: TPLF and allies launch coordinated offensive on three fronts in northern region

Rebel groups led by the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) and its allies have launched a coordinated three-pronged offensive in northern Ethiopia, escalating tensions in a region already marked by years of conflict. The operation comes just two days after the announcement of the formation of a new opposition coalition with the stated aim of overthrowing the Ethiopian federal government.

According to available information, rebel groups have taken control of the town of Abala in the Afar region, as well as the airports of Mekele, Aksum and Shire, located in the Tigray region. These takeovers constitute significant territorial advances for opposition forces in the north of the country.

Since Wednesday 23 September, the rebel groups have also surrounded the crossroads town of Woldiya, located in the Amhara region, a strategic locality because of its position on the communication routes linking several regions of northern Ethiopia.

The offensive marks a notable escalation in relations between the Ethiopian federal government and opposition forces in the north of the country, an area that has already seen a major conflict between 2020 and 2022 between Addis Ababa and the TPLF.

The situation remains fluid, and military developments in the coming days will be decisive in assessing the extent of this new phase of the conflict in northern Ethiopia.