After several weeks of shelling Afar border towns, TPLF rebels have “captured Magale and Abala” areas, the ARS communication office confirmed today. Thousands of Afars have been displaced and dozens of civilians killed in the Tigrayan offensive, as of January 24.

The TPLF offensive into Afar zone 2 began soon after the Ethiopian government declared ceasefire at the end of December 2021, local sources confirmed. There is widespread anger among the Afar community who say the federal government has ignored their calls for help since Prime Minister Abiy’s ruling party announced a “national dialogue commission” in December despite continued TPLF attacks. Despite reassuring words and rhetoric from Ethiopian generals that the government will defend Afar from TPLF, critics say these have been empty words as Afar people are left abandoned due to politics and indecision from Addis Ababa. For days, Afar regional police and forces have alone resisted the Tigrayans who use artillery and superior weaponry. Some of the indiscriminate shelling by TPLF has displaced Afar women, elderly and children to make the journey to Erebti, away from Abala and Magale. Muhamed Yassin, a lecturer in Samara university, revealed some of the casualties were from random and heavy TPLF artillery fire from high altitude areas.

Meanwhile, some humanitarian aid that already passed nearly 400 kilometers thru Afar, from Semera to Abala, has been stuck in Abala for weeks due to the TPLF attacks. UN Secretary General’s office confirmed to Voice of America (VOA)’s Margaret Besheer a 20-truck convoy of medicine and food aid was allowed to pass thru Afar region but couldn’t proceed farther due to military attacks at Tigray border.

Prominent Afar rights activist Alaw Kadir said in December, the TPLF having previously looted massive aid stockpiles in Kombolcha and other towns, recent Tigrayan raids in Abala were a military strategy due to the town’s proximity and access to Mekelle as well as to create a diplomatic humanitarian crisis with TPLF leader Tedros Adhanom at the helm. 

On social media, some Afar activists were angered with new reported scenes of more WFP aid trucks driving West into Tigray near the same roads that displaced Afar women & children walk barefoot east to escape shelling by TPLF. Since July, over 1.2 million Afar-Ethiopians have been displaced by the Tigrayans. 

Afar human rights activist and health expert Dr. Kontie Moussa said TPLF fighters are continuing the assault deep into Afar and likely to cause fresh humanitarian crisis in Erebti as well, which is currently sheltering IDPs.