Ethiopia’s forces retake Mekelle amid renewed Tigray fighting
Ethiopian federal forces and allied Tigray Peace Force fighters moved into Mekelle after the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) said it had withdrawn and would temporarily run the regional administration from another location. The entry into the regional capital has raised fears of renewed large-scale conflict, displacement and economic disruption across Tigray and beyond.
Why It Matters
Mekelle's capture revives memories of the 2020–22 Tigray war, which caused mass casualties and displacement, and it risks undoing progress from the Pretoria agreement that ended that conflict in November 2022. The incident also coincides with rising tensions inside Ethiopia and a diplomatic rupture with Eritrea, increasing the chance of a wider regional crisis.
Key Facts
- Location: Mekelle, regional capital of Tigray, Ethiopia
- Forces involved: Ethiopian federal forces and allied Tigray Peace Force fighters entered the city after the TPLF withdrew
- TPLF statement: TPLF said it had 'temporarily moved out of Mekelle' and its regional administration would operate elsewhere
- Peace agreement: Pretoria agreement signed November 2022 ended large-scale fighting in the 2020–22 war
- Casualty estimates (2020–22 war): Hundreds of thousands killed and millions displaced (estimates)
Federal troops and allied fighters entered Mekelle on Saturday after the TPLF announced it had pulled back from the city and would temporarily relocate the regional administration. Multiple sources, including a pro-government militia contact, a humanitarian worker and a Mekelle resident speaking to Reuters, said government-aligned forces were in control of key locations by Sunday.
The move follows months of rising tensions after the Pretoria accord of November 2022, which had paused large-scale hostilities but left core issues unresolved: contested territories, the return of displaced people and disarmament of Tigrayan forces. In July the TPLF said the agreement had effectively collapsed, a characterization the federal government has rejected even as the two sides traded accusations over troop movements, drone strikes and skirmishes.
Residents expressed alarm and dread at the prospect of renewed fighting. People in Mekelle described a period of uncertainty and some lawlessness after the TPLF departure, while others in Addis Ababa said explosions heard overnight brought the conflict closer to the capital. Some diplomatic and opposition-linked sources reported strikes in parts of Addis Ababa, including near military sites, though those claims were not independently verified.
The current confrontation involves a broader set of actors than the earlier Tigray war: the TPLF is part of a wider opposition alliance that includes armed groups from other regions, fighting has extended into Afar, and relations with Eritrea have sharply worsened. Ethiopia closed its embassy in Asmara, declared 10 Eritrean diplomats persona non grata and accused Eritrea of interference; Eritrea then announced it was severing diplomatic ties. Observers and residents warn the renewed clashes could drive further displacement, economic hardship and wider regional instability.
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