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Ethiopian federal forces and allied fighters have entered the northern Tigrayan town of Adwa without resistance after forces loyal to the Tigray People’s Liberation Front withdrew, according to residents who spoke to AFP.
Adwa, one of Tigray’s most populated towns, lies about 40 kilometres from Ethiopia’s border with Eritrea. Residents said government forces and an allied militia moved into the town on Sunday after TPLF fighters departed a day earlier.
The development comes as Ethiopian federal forces continue to push TPLF fighters towards the Eritrean border following renewed clashes that began in late September. The fighting initially saw Tigrayan forces gain ground in the neighbouring Afar region, but government troops have since regained ground.
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One Adwa resident, identified only as Aferwerki, said shops remained closed after government institutions, including Adwa Hospital, were reportedly looted overnight. Another resident said roads were largely deserted as residents feared theft and insecurity. The resident added that government forces had entered Adwa but had not yet reached the town centre.
Conflict monitoring group ACLED said drone strikes targeted a hotel in Adwa on October 4, injuring between five and nine people, including security personnel. ACLED said some sources claimed TPLF chairman Debretsion Gebremichael and other senior officials had been at the hotel, but the organisation stressed that the information had not been independently verified.
The latest advance follows federal forces’ capture of Tigray’s regional capital, Mekelle, earlier this month after TPLF fighters withdrew. Flights to Mekelle, suspended when fighting resumed, restarted on Sunday, and telecommunications services have also been restored.
The renewed conflict has intensified tensions between Ethiopia and neighbouring Eritrea. Addis Ababa has accused Asmara of supporting the TPLF, an allegation that has increased fears of a broader regional confrontation. A foreign security source told AFP that between 5,000 and 8,000 Eritrean soldiers were believed to be present in Tigray.
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Ethiopia and Eritrea, which fought a border war from 1998 to 2000, exchanged accusations last week over responsibility for the latest tensions. Eritrea subsequently asked the United Nations Security Council to take what it described as “deterrent measures” following what it characterised as an Ethiopian declaration of war.
The entry of Ethiopian forces into Adwa places government troops much closer to the Eritrean border and could help determine the next phase of the fighting in northern Ethiopia.
