In Ethiopia, clashes trigger fear of return to civil war

Residents of Alamata, a city that straddles Ethiopia's Tigray and Amhara regions. say a growing military presence have them fearing renewed fighting.

The city is one of the most contested areas since the Tigray War. Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) forces took control of it at the start of this year, after Ethiopian federal troops withdrew.

One Alamata resident who requested anonymity for safety reasons said: "The TPLF forces have deployed many troops on the Raya front and have been instructed to be ready for war."

"In most areas of the city, you can only see soldiers," another Alamata resident, Ato Gebru TsefaEzigi, told DW. "It seems like a military city."

Alamata is the central hub of the Raya valley, which straddles the Tigray and Amhara regions and alongside. It includes the districts of Raya Azebo in the Tigray region and Raya Kobo in the Amhara region.Explainer: How did Ethiopia's Tigray war start?To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video