TPLF Forces Seize 2 Tigray Towns After January Clashes With ENDF
Updated
Updated · hornreview.org · Aug 1
TPLF Forces Seize 2 Tigray Towns After January Clashes With ENDF
1 articles · Updated · hornreview.org · Aug 1
Summary
January 30 fighting left TPLF-aligned forces in control of Alamata and Korem after a federal command post withdrew, capping three days of ENDF clashes in disputed Tselemt on January 26, 28 and 29.
The escalation followed the TPLF’s post-Pretoria remilitarization: hardliners rebuilt the TDF, set up a command post under Debretsion Gebremichael and pushed to retake contested areas including Welkait, Tsegede, Humera and Tselemt by force.
Army 70 — several thousand TDF fighters based in eastern Sudan — reportedly attacked ENDF positions and Amhara-aligned Tekeze Guard routes into western Tigray, showing how Sudanese territory has become a rear base for the campaign.
The clashes are described as the most serious direct confrontation between TDF-linked forces and the ENDF since the November 2022 Pretoria peace deal, underscoring how its political and disarmament terms have unraveled.
Broader alignments have sharpened the risk of renewed war, with the report linking TPLF hardliners to tactical openings with Eritrea, Fano elements and external support channels tied to Egypt and Sudan.
With heavy artillery already firing, is Ethiopia's containment strategy secretly failing against the TPLF's newly mobilized forces?
How are former bitter enemies Eritrea and the TPLF quietly aligning to reshape the fragile balance of power in the Horn of Africa?
Will unresolved territorial disputes from the 2022 Pretoria deal inevitably plunge Ethiopia back into a devastating full-scale regional war?
From Peace to Proxy War: The 2026 Tigray-Ethiopia Conflict and Its Regional Fallout
Overview
In August 2026, rising tensions and military build-ups between the Ethiopian National Defense Force and Tigrayan forces led to heavy clashes in Western Tigray, forcing hundreds of civilians and wounded fighters to flee into Sudan. The sudden influx overwhelmed Sudanese border communities and health facilities. These events followed the systematic breakdown of the 2022 Pretoria Peace Agreement, which failed to restore territory or demobilize ex-combatants, leaving many displaced and frustrated. As Tigray’s economy collapsed, youth turned to illicit gold mining, prompting authorities to launch aggressive forced conscription. Meanwhile, shifting alliances—such as Eritrea’s pivot to support the TPLF—further destabilized the region and heightened the risk of wider conflict.