Ethiopian federal forces and allied fighters have retaken Mekelle, the capital of the northern Tigray region, after renewed fighting with the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). The development marks a major setback for the TPLF and has renewed fears of a return to the devastating conflict that affected the region between 2020 and 2022.
The TPLF withdrew from Mekelle as government forces entered the city and took control of key locations, including the airport. Residents said shops and businesses had remained closed amid uncertainty, while communications were gradually restored after being disrupted for about a week.
However, the capture of Mekelle has not ended the fighting. Humanitarian sources reported that airstrikes and artillery fire hit parts of Tigray on Monday, with at least 17 people reportedly killed in attacks around Adwa and Sheraro. Reuters said it could not independently verify the reports.
The renewed violence has raised concerns about a wider regional crisis. Ethiopia has accused Eritrea, Sudan and Egypt of supporting forces opposed to its government, although the countries have denied the allegations. Ethiopia and Eritrea have also experienced a serious deterioration in diplomatic relations.
The situation is particularly worrying because the latest fighting threatens the 2022 Pretoria peace agreement, which ended the previous two-year Tigray war. That conflict caused hundreds of thousands of deaths and displaced large numbers of people.
Analysts fear that continued fighting could spread beyond Tigray and involve neighbouring countries, especially as tensions over Ethiopia’s demand for access to the Red Sea continue to grow. The United States has called on Ethiopia and Eritrea to exercise restraint.
For civilians in Tigray, the latest developments have brought back memories of the previous war. Although life in Mekelle was beginning to return to normal after government forces took control, the continuing clashes outside the city mean that the security situation remains highly uncertain.
