Getahun Tsegaye
Staff Writer
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia — Protests have broken out in the town of Maichew following the dissolution of the previous administration by forces from the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and the appointment of new leadership in the zone.
The protest in Maichew is said to be a direct response to a recent announcement by the Tigray Interim Administration (TIA), led by Lieutenant General Tadesse Werede, detailing major leadership changes in the region’s Southern Zone, particularly in the towns of Raya, Maichew, Mohoni, and Chercher .
Protesters reportedly opposed TIA’s move and accused it of forcefully controlling the areas.
The leadership changes come amid escalating tensions in the areas bordering the Amhara region, particularly in the contested Raya Alamata area. For the past two years, this area, with its main center in Alamata, was administered by federal government security forces and was incorporated into the Amhara regional government after the two-year conflict between the TPLF and the federal government.
Reports indicate that Tigrayan forces have recently moved into and taken control of the area. There are also resurfacing claims that federal security forces were requested to vacate the area for the Tigray forces, though it remains unclear whether this order came from the federal government or was simply a request from the Tigray forces.
The Amhara and Tigray regional governments both claim the area. The Amhara regional government has yet to publicly comment on this latest escalation.
Prior to its forced inclusion into the Tigray region by the TPLF, which labeled it “South Tigray,” Raya was an integral part of the Wollo province, currently administered by the Amhara regional government.
Additionally, the House of Federation has declared that it is currently working to find a long-term solution for issues involving border and identity claims. This problem has long been a source of contention; years ago, the House of Federation received a request for a solution for Raya and the surrounding areas.
The recent events follow a period of relative calm in the area after the Pretoria peace accord. In July of last year, over 14,000 people displaced from Raya Alamata were able to return to their homes in the towns of Alamata, Waja, Timuga, Merewa, and Cheqera.
Fighting between Tigrayan forces and Amhara local militias in the disputed Raya Alamata woreda in March 2024, however, momentarily disrupted this tranquility. Mola Derbew, the Raya Alamata administrator at the time, stated that the clashes claimed the lives of four Amhara militias and injured twelve more. He asserted that the Ethiopian National Defence Force (ENDF) was informed of the attack but chose not to take action, accusing the TPLF of planning it.
The aftermath of the Pretoria agreement has been marked by latent but escalating conflicts between the Amhara and Tigray regional governments. Since the introduction of the TPLF/EPRDF-led ethnic federalism in the 1990s, and the inclusion of areas from former Gondar and Wollo provinces to the Tigray region, there have been identity questions. The contest for control over what is often portrayed as “disputed” areas of Raya, Wolqayt-Tsegede, and Telemt between the Amhara and Tigray regions—all currently under Amhara control—remains a major point of contention between the two regions.
An early warning expert, who spoke with Borkena, has highly cautioned that the matter is leading to spiraling conflicts, not only between the two regional governments but beyond. The expert believes the federal government must bring lasting peace, or Ethiopia will experience another bloody war.
According to the expert, Ethiopia is currently in tension with Eritrea over sea port access. Additionally, the GERD project is drawing high attention from contending countries, which Ethiopia must handle cautiously.
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