# Ethiopian Federal Forces Enter Adwa After TPLF Withdrawal as Tensions With Eritrea Rise

*Tuesday, October 13, 2026 at 6:06 AM UTC — Hamer Intelligence Services Desk*

**Published**: 2026-10-13T06:06:12.909Z (3h ago)
**Category**: conflict | **Region**: Africa
**Importance**: 7/10
**Sources**: OSINT
**Permalink**: https://hamerintel.com/data/articles/20408.md
**Source**: https://hamerintel.com/summaries

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**Deck**: Federal troops have retaken the northern Ethiopian town of Adwa near the Eritrean border without fighting after Tigray forces withdrew, Africanews reported. The move comes as tensions with Eritrea increase and as commercial flights resume between Addis Ababa and the Tigrayan capital Mekelle.

Ethiopian federal forces have returned to the town of Adwa in the country’s north, extending central government control to an area close to the Eritrean border. Africanews reported on 12 October that troops entered the town without fighting after Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) forces pulled back.

Adwa lies near key routes linking northern Ethiopia to Eritrea, giving it strategic weight in any future security arrangements along the frontier. The change in control comes at a time when tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea are reported to be rising.

The peaceful entry of federal forces suggests there were at least some understandings or calculations on the TPLF side about avoiding a clash in the town, even after years of conflict and mistrust. For residents, the return of federal troops is likely to bring changes in local administration and security practices, with people adjusting to a different authority at checkpoints and in government offices.

The development coincides with the resumption of commercial flights between the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, and Mekelle, the capital of the Tigray region. Air links can ease isolation and help restore economic and social ties, but the federal advance toward border areas underlines that the political and security settlement remains unsettled.

For Eritrea, Ethiopia’s renewed presence in Adwa will be closely watched. Eritrean forces previously operated in parts of Tigray during the war, and relations between Asmara, Addis Ababa, and Tigrayan actors remain fraught.

How the situation in Adwa evolves will offer clues about the broader trajectory of northern Ethiopia. Reports of calm integration into federal structures would point one way; accounts of arrests, abuses, or cross-border incidents would point another.

Important next signals include Eritrean commentary on the federal move, any detailed Ethiopian statements about security plans in the area, and feedback from local communities on how the shift in control affects daily life.