TPLF combatant forces reportedly camping in Alamata Schools 

borkena

Toronto – It is not even a week since Getachew Reda, Tigray Region Interim administration president, made claims that its forces have withdrawn from Gargale and Beklomanekia areas in Raya Alamata. A news story that was published on Friday rather indicates that the group is camping its forces in school grounds in Alamata. 

The BBC Amharic service said it has confirmed the news from residents and officials appointed by the Amhara region to administer the area. 

However, the Regional Interim Administration of Tigray ( in essence a TPLF administration) denies that its armies are camping in schools in Alamata.  The Mayor of Alamata who is appointed by the administration in Tigray is cited as saying the news is “absolutely false. There is no regular force that entered but a force that withdrew.” 

On the other hand three residents whom BBC Amharic spoke to reportedly said that they have been observing Tigray forces activity in the town (Alamata).  

A resident who spoke to the source on condition of anonymity for security reasons said the TPLF/Tigray forces are camping in schools in the city. 

Kokebe Tsebah, Misrak and Haik Senior Secondary Schools are under the TPLF forces. Residents say that the TPLF forces are heavily armed including with heavy weaponry.  

A school near the airport in the town has also become a makeshift camp for the same forces. 

According to residents, it has been more than a week now since the “Tigray forces” have been making activity in Alamata. 

Apart from forces camping in schools, the residents say that forces do have another military position outside of the town. 

There have been recurring reports that as many as 36,000 residents in the area were displaced due to the latest military venture whose motive appears to be a forceful occupation of Alamata and Raya – areas that have been described by international actors and the ruling prosperity party as “disputed areas.”

Last month, the ruling party issued a statement calling on the TPLF forces to withdraw from areas they controlled by military force. The military action was seen as a violation of the Pretoria agreement.  However, there appears to be no follow up on the part of the Federal government to enforce it. In fact, the political trends between TPLF and the Federal government is increasingly showing a sign of an alignment. In what appears to be a final step of legalizing the TPLF, the council of Ministers on Friday approved a legislation (to be ratified by the parliament ) to allow the TPLF to be registered as a legal political party. It was designated as  a terrorist organization after it attacked first the Northern Command of the Defense Force and next the Amahra and Afar regions in 2020 and 2021. 

__

Join our Telegram Channel : t.me/borkena

Like borkena on Facebook

Business Listing/Business Directory 

Join the conversation. Follow us on X (formerly Twitter) @zborkena to get the latest Ethiopian News updates regularly. Ethiopia  Subscribe to YouTube channel To share information or for submission, send e-mail to info@borkena.com