Ethiopian federal forces have taken control of the Tigray People's Liberation Front's (TPLF) regional capital, Mekelle. A local journalist reported that federal troops were patrolling the city and manning key institutions on Sunday. This development comes after renewed fighting broke out between the TPLF and federal forces on September 23, sparking fears of a return to the devastating civil war of 2020-2022. The conflict has led to concerns of a wider regional war.
The presidents of Egypt, Somalia, Sudan, and Eritrea met in the Egyptian coastal city of El-Alamein on Sunday to discuss the escalating violence in Ethiopia. The leaders called for regional disputes to be resolved through peaceful means, stressing respect for international law and non-interference in the internal affairs of states in the Horn of Africa. The meeting came amid accusations by Ethiopia that Eritrea is directly backing the Tigray rebels, which Eritrea denies.
Ethiopian forces have pushed deep into rebel-held territory, entering Mekelle on Saturday without a fight, as TPLF leaders and troops abandoned the city. A commander with a pro-government militia told AFP that they had taken control of Mekelle and were marching forward. However, businesses and shops in the city remained closed, with owners having moved stock to safer locations ahead of time, fearing looting and vandalism.
Residents of Mekelle reported that there were no police in the city, and they had to organize themselves to take care of security. One resident, Tewodros, expressed relief that the war was beginning to lower in intensity but was scared it would drag on. There are growing fears that the fighting could spill over the border into Eritrea, which shares a long border with the Tigray region and accuses Ethiopia of planning to invade and seize access to its coastline.
The mini-summit in Alamein brought together Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki, Somalian President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, and Sudanese Armed Forces head Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. Before the talks, Sisi called for dialogue to address concerns that Ethiopia's escalating violence could spill across borders. The leaders emphasized the need for cooperation and adherence to international law.
The TPLF's leader, Debretsion Gebremichael, has implied that the group would continue guerrilla-style attacks. The rebels' insurgent campaign ultimately led to the TPLF retaking Mekelle in 2020 during the last war. Debretsion stated that they operate under a strategy to strike the enemy wherever they choose. The TPLF ruled all of Ethiopia from 1991 until 2018, when it was marginalized with the rise of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
The conflict in Ethiopia has led to a longstanding dispute over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, which Cairo fears could reduce its share of Nile waters. Egypt and Ethiopia have been locked in a years-long dispute over the dam, with relations deteriorating further this month after they expelled members of each other's diplomatic missions. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty described the unrest in Ethiopia as a domestic crisis rooted in ethnic and political divisions.
Key points
- Ethiopian federal forces take control of Tigray's capital, Mekelle.
- Regional leaders meet in Egypt to discuss escalating violence in Ethiopia.
- The conflict raises fears of a wider regional war and potential spillover into Eritrea.
