How the fighting in Ethiopia spread beyond Tigray, in maps and charts

What the report says

Al Jazeera reports that fighting in northern Ethiopia has widened beyond Tigray, with active fronts now in Tigray, Amhara and Afar. The article says government-aligned forces and Tigrayan fighters have exchanged advances around strategic towns and transport routes, including Alamata in southern Tigray and areas near the Tigray-Afar border. It also notes that telecommunications have been cut across much of Tigray and commercial flights have been suspended, worsening the impact on civilians and aid access.

The conflict is tied to long-running disputes left unresolved after Ethiopia’s 2020-2022 war in Tigray. Al Jazeera says tensions have built over political control, disputed territory and security arrangements, and that fresh clashes intensified in late September. The TPLF, which once dominated Ethiopian politics, is again a central actor, alongside Amhara Fano forces and Afar-based Ugugumo fighters. The report says these groups are part of a broader alliance formed on September 20 that says it wants to remove Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government and create a transitional administration.

The piece also highlights concerns about regional spillover. Ethiopia’s army chief has accused Eritrea, Sudan’s army and Egypt of backing armed groups, though those countries deny the claims. Al Jazeera says the fighting matters because it threatens key supply routes, including the Semera-Djibouti corridor, and could deepen instability in a country whose federal system has long been shaped by ethnic and regional divisions.