Ethiopian government-allied forces have entered Mekelle, the capital of the northern Tigray region, following the strategic withdrawal of the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF). The rebel group's pullout from one of Ethiopia's largest cities comes after a brief period of renewed fighting, during which they had seized the regional capital and its airport last month.
In a statement released on Saturday, the TPLF announced its forces had pulled out of Mekelle. The group noted that this withdrawal was intended to spare the city from physical destruction, echoing a similar tactical move made during the devastating two-year war that concluded with a peace agreement in 2022. Following the rebel seizure of the airport last month, Ethiopian Airlines had suspended all flights to Mekelle as well as the Tigrayan cities of Axum and Shire, raising fears of renewed isolation among local residents.
The sudden escalation prompted the African Union to urge restraint, warning that the renewed tensions posed a direct threat to the fragile 2022 peace accord. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who rose to the premiership in 2018 and secured reelection earlier this year, has repeatedly tried and failed to subdue Tigray’s rebellious leaders in recent months. TPLF Chairman Debretsion Gebremichael has openly challenged Abiy's authority, stating on Thursday that the current hostilities represent a "continuation of the previous war" and declaring that his fighters would persist in attacking and defending Tigray from its enemies.
As federal troops and their allies moved to secure the area, residents reported widespread looting and the entry of government-allied fighters. Filmon Equar Hailu, a local business owner in Mekelle, described seeing civilians looting government offices, the TPLF administration office, the regional police headquarters, and some local shops as the rebel forces withdrew. Speaking by phone, Filmon observed TPLF-allied fighters carrying light weapons as they departed the city in small groups, a process that began roughly three days ago and concluded on Saturday afternoon.
Following the rebel departure, small groups of fighters from the Tigray Peace Force entered Mekelle, accompanied by celebratory gunfire that lasted overnight into Sunday morning. According to Jalale Getachew Birru, an Ethiopia analyst for the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), Prime Minister Abiy is highly likely to delegate regional security in Mekelle to the Tigray Peace Force. This force, which consists of former members of the TPLF's armed wing, the Tigray Defense Forces, is currently fighting alongside federal troops against the TPLF. Information gathering has been severely hampered by major disruptions to internet and cellphone networks in Tigray, although some connectivity was restored on Sunday.
The TPLF, which was the dominant faction in the coalition that ruled Ethiopia from 1991 to 2018, recently joined six other opposition groups in declaring an alliance aimed at removing Abiy from power. The rekindled conflict has brought severe hardship to civilians who are still recovering from the previous war. Aside from flight suspensions, residents reported that key roads connecting Tigray and the neighboring Afar region have been closed to civilian traffic, deepening the region's isolation.
The conflict is also straining broader regional alliances. The Ethiopian government has accused the TPLF of receiving support from Egypt and Eritrea. Relations between Addis Ababa and Cairo have been cold for years due to a dispute over a massive power dam built by Ethiopia on the Nile River, which Egypt fears could reduce its vital water supply. Meanwhile, Abiy has angered Eritrea by publicly expressing his desire for Ethiopia to secure sovereign access to the Eritrean Red Sea port of Assab.
This diplomatic friction escalated dramatically on Thursday when Ethiopia shut down its embassy in Eritrea and ordered 10 Eritrean diplomats to leave Addis Ababa, accusing them of "involvement in activities that pose a direct threat to Ethiopia's national security." Eritrea quickly retaliated by announcing it was cutting diplomatic ties with Ethiopia. While Egypt denies providing any support to the TPLF, Eritrea has accused Abiy of attempting to externalize an internal Ethiopian conflict. Amid these tensions, Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki traveled to Egypt for a working visit at the invitation of Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi. Eritrean Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel stated on social media platform X that the two leaders would discuss the further enhancement of their bilateral ties during the visit.
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