Ethiopia’s Tigray forces withdraw from parts of Amhara region

By Tesfa-Alem Tekle

October 3, 2022 (NAIROBI) – Ethiopia’s Tigray forces have said that they are withdrawing from territories of the neighboring Amhara region, which they took control, after fighting resumed a few weeks ago, ending a six-month-long agreed truce.

Fresh fighting between Tigray and government forces broke out at the end of August.

Eritrea, a sworn enemy of Tigray leaders, has also deployed its forces as it did during the first phase of the conflict, which erupted in November 2020.

In a statement, the leadership of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) said the withdrawal from Amhara region was a “tactical” redeployment of its forces and said it was necessary to counter a joint offensive by Ethiopian and Eritrean forces from further north.

“Taking into account current developments, we have found it necessary to make tactical geographical adjustments” said central command of Tigray forces in a statement issued late Sunday.

“Accordingly, we have made geographical adjustments by withdrawing from Amhara areas we had entered the direction of the South” in order to address the existential danger hovering over us as a result of the collaborative invasion”

“This decision came about as a result of our own initiative, not developments on the battlefield there,” the statement said adding “Over the past three days, our army had been implementing this decision” the central command added.

Tigray leaders however warned that the withdrawal could be reversed if the government and its allied forces made further attacks on the southern fronts.

“If this repeatedly destroyed force makes further attempts on this front, it should know that we can re-enter those areas at any time and in any direction to ensure our survival”, warned the central command.

Tigray forces claimed to have taken control of large areas in Amhara region by successfully defending and destroying a massive invasive force of Ethiopia and Eritrea.

Tigray leaders said that the reason their forces were compelled to enter Amhara region after destroying the enemy force present in this area.

Because “we wanted to occupy Amhara land, nor was it to turn Amhara land into a battlefield, but to attack the enemy at a time and place of our choosing”

“We did so to weaken the enemy’s power, thereby compelling it to come to the negotiating table”

Separately, Tigray spokesperson Getachew Reda said on Twitter that his region’s forces had inflicted “tens of thousands” of losses on pro-government units since the renewed fighting.

ST can not independently verify these claims, as the war zones in North Ethiopia are largely cut off from phone and internet access, and journalists are currently barred from traveling there.

Eritrea’s re-entry into the Ethiopian conflict has drawn international condemnation.

President Isaias Afwerki’s government has refused to withdraw its forces from parts of Tigray despite repeated calls from world powers.

Last month the Tigray forces said Eritrea had launched a “full-scale” offensive across the region’s northern border.

(ST)