Fighting erupted in northern Ethiopia on September 23 as the rebel Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) launched attacks into neighboring states, raising fears of a return to the devastating 2020-2022 civil war. The conflict has triggered a breakdown in Ethiopia's relations with Eritrea and Egypt, which Ethiopia accuses of supporting the rebels.
Tigray rebels were abandoning their regional capital, Mekelle, on Saturday, a local journalist and residents told AFP, as pro-government forces advanced on the city. The journalist said TPLF militants and leaders were leaving Mekelle, adding that federal forces had not yet been seen inside the city.
Residents expressed concern that government and public property could be exposed to looting without security personnel. "I am concerned that government and public property could be exposed to looting because there are no security forces in the city," a local resident told AFP. "Lawlessness could spread in the city, and I am also afraid for my life," added another resident.
In a separate development, a diplomatic source told AFP that a mini-summit on Sunday would bring together the presidents of Egypt, Eritrea, and Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, as well as the head of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), Abdel Fattah al-Burhane, in Alamein, Egypt. The TPLF has long been the dominant force in Tigray and kicked out a government-appointed administration earlier this year.
TPLF leader Debretsion Gebremichael implied in a video message on Thursday that the TPLF would continue guerrilla-style attacks as they did when Mekelle fell to government forces in 2020. "We operate under a strategy to strike the enemy wherever we choose," Debretsion said. The conflict has triggered a breakdown in Ethiopia's relations with Eritrea and Egypt, which Ethiopia accuses of supporting the rebels.
Ethiopia expelled 10 Eritrean diplomats and shut its embassy in Asmara on Thursday, while Eritrea responded that it would "sever all diplomatic ties". Eritrea accuses landlocked Ethiopia of planning to invade and seize access to its coastline. Ethiopia also expelled an Egyptian diplomat without explanation, prompting a reciprocal move by Cairo.
The TPLF ruled all of Ethiopia from 1991 to 2018, when it was marginalized with the rise of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. The tensions led to a civil war from 2020 to 2022 -- one of the deadliest in the world in recent times -- that left more than 600,000 dead, according to the African Union.
Key points
- The TPLF's abandonment of Mekelle comes amid a government counter-offensive into Tigrayan territory along three axes towards the regional capital.
- The conflict has triggered a breakdown in Ethiopia's relations with Eritrea and Egypt, which Ethiopia accuses of supporting the rebels.
- The TPLF's leader, Debretsion Gebremichael, implied that the group would continue guerrilla-style attacks.
