Ethiopia: Ethiopia Retakes Tigray Capital Mekelle

What the report says

Ethiopian federal forces and allied fighters have retaken Mekelle, the capital of Tigray, according to AllAfrica’s source, UG Diplomat, citing renewed fighting with the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). The report says the TPLF said it had temporarily pulled back from the city and would move its regional administration elsewhere, while federal and allied forces entered Mekelle and secured key sites, including the airport.

The latest change in control is a major turn in the recent escalation in northern Ethiopia and comes after months of rising tension between Addis Ababa and the TPLF. The article says the renewed clashes began in late September with a new TPLF-led offensive in parts of Tigray. Mekelle had previously been under TPLF control and was central to the earlier 2020-2022 war.

The development also raises questions about the durability of the 2022 Pretoria peace agreement, which ended that conflict but left several issues unresolved, including disputed territory, displacement and the future of Tigrayan forces. The report notes that the fighting has broader implications for the Horn of Africa, especially amid strained Ethiopia-Eritrea relations, and that civilians in Tigray fear another humanitarian crisis. The article does not say whether the seizure of Mekelle will lead to lasting stabilization or further fighting.