Fighting between Ethiopian government forces and rebels has drawn closer to Mekelle, prompting the Tigray People’s Liberation Front to temporarily pull its fighters out of the northern regional capital. The TPLF said the move was intended to reduce the danger to civilians.
Residents said pro-government forces had taken control of Mekelle, while mobile phone services resumed in parts of the city. The renewed clashes have spread through Tigray, Afar and Amhara, fuelling fears that the conflict could expand across the Horn of Africa. The TPLF recently joined six other armed groups in an alliance seeking to oust Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government. The escalation comes as Ethiopia’s relations with Eritrea deteriorate and tensions rise with Egypt and Sudan, which Addis Ababa accuses of backing the rebels.
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The United Nations has warned that worsening insecurity is hampering humanitarian operations. The latest violence also places renewed strain on the fragile peace agreement signed in 2022, which ended a devastating two-year civil war in Tigray. An African Union mediator estimated that the conflict killed about 600,000 people.
