Ethiopia: Tigray Rebels Reportedly Abandon Capital As Ethiopian Government Forces Advance

What the report says

Tigray rebels were reported to be leaving Mekelle, the regional capital of northern Ethiopia, as pro-government forces moved closer, according to local residents cited in an RFI report distributed by AllAfrica. The development comes amid the most intense fighting in the region since Ethiopia’s 2020-2022 civil war.

The fighting resumed on 23 September, when the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) launched attacks into neighboring states, including Afar and Amhara, raising concerns that the conflict could widen again. The article says federal forces and allied militias have since driven the rebels back and are now advancing north toward Mekelle. Witnesses and a local journalist told AFP that TPLF leaders and fighters were leaving the city, while federal troops had not yet been seen inside it.

Residents said government buildings and police stations were left without security, fueling fears of looting and disorder. A pro-government militia also claimed it had taken control of Mekelle’s airport, though that could not be independently verified because of access restrictions and communications disruptions. The report adds that the TPLF was said to have been pushed out of Afar entirely, though that too was not independently confirmed.

The fighting has broader regional implications, including rising tensions between Ethiopia, Eritrea and Egypt. The African Union has urged restraint as Addis Ababa accused both countries of backing the rebels. The article notes that the earlier war between the TPLF and Ethiopia’s federal government caused massive loss of life, underscoring the risk of a renewed large-scale conflict.