Ethiopian forces enter strategic Tigray town of Adwa, witnesses say
News Source
β’Mon, 12 Oct 2026 18:01:41 +0000
π° What Happened
Ethiopian government forces entered the town of Adwa without a fight on Sunday, witnesses said. Adwa sits about 40km from Ethiopia's border with Eritrea. The move came days after federal troops captured Adigrat from fighters of the Tigray People's Liberation Front, or TPLF. Residents said all shops were closed and that Adwa Hospital and other government buildings were looted overnight. A TPLF vice president said he did not wish to comment.
π The Backstory
Tigray fought a devastating two-year war with Ethiopia's federal government that ended in a 2022 peace deal. Tensions flared again in 2026 as the TPLF and the federal government accused each other of breaking that agreement. Ethiopia and Eritrea have also traded angry words, raising fears of a wider regional conflict. Flights to the regional capital, Mekelle, resumed in October, a sign of easing, but the latest troop movements show how fragile the calm still is.
π― Why It Matters
Fighting in Tigray threatens a fragile peace in a region still recovering from war, and could pull in neighbouring Eritrea.
Ethiopian government forces entered the town of Adwa without a fight on Sunday, witnesses said. Adwa sits about 40km from Ethiopia's border with Eritrea. The move came days after federal troops captured Adigrat from fighters of the Tigray People's Liberation Front, or TPLF. Residents said all shops were closed and that Adwa Hospital and other government buildings were looted overnight. A TPLF vice president said he did not wish to comment.
Tigray fought a devastating two-year war with Ethiopia's federal government that ended in a 2022 peace deal. Tensions flared again in 2026 as the TPLF and the federal government accused each other of breaking that agreement. Ethiopia and Eritrea have also traded angry words, raising fears of a wider regional conflict. Flights to the regional capital, Mekelle, resumed in October, a sign of easing, but the latest troop movements show how fragile the calm still is.
Fighting in Tigray threatens a fragile peace in a region still recovering from war, and could pull in neighbouring Eritrea.