Ethiopia: Suspected militants kill 12 people in Galicoma, Afar Region, Aug. 5

Event

According to recent reports, militants associated with Tigray Peoples' Liberation Front (TPLF) reportedly killed at least 12 people and wounded 12 others in an attack on civilians in Galicoma, Afar Region, Aug. 5. Local officials did not immediately provide details regarding the incident. Similar attacks are possible over the coming weeks.

Context

Since mid-July, hostilities between TPLF and Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) and its allies have intensified on western, southern, and eastern fronts, and violence has spilled over into Tigray’s neighboring Afar and Amhara regions. TPLF’s advancement into areas in Afar is likely due to the strategic importance of transport links through the region that connects Ethiopia with Djibouti. On July 18, federal authorities accused the TDF of shelling trucks carrying humanitarian aid from the Afar Region to Mekelle. TDF officials rejected the claim and said its forces had only repelled militias from Ethiopia’s Oromia Region who had reportedly been sent to fight alongside the Afar regional force.