Ethiopian Airlines has temporarily suspended flights to Mekele, Axum, and Shire effective Wednesday, due to the current situation in the Tigray region. The national carrier made the announcement after rebel forces seized control of the airport in the regional capital, Mekelle. The airport was taken over by Tigrayan rebel forces, according to security and local sources.
The Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), which controls the region, has been engaged in a conflict with the federal government. The two parties fought a devastating civil war from 2020-2022 that resulted in approximately 600,000 deaths, according to African Union estimates. Sporadic clashes have occurred in recent months, raising fears of a return to war.
An employee at Alula Aba Nega Airport in Mekelle reported that the airport was taken over by Tigray forces while they were on their way to work. The employee's supervisor informed them that there were no flights and instructed them to return home. A foreign security source based in Ethiopia confirmed this information.
The seizure of the airport has raised concerns about the security situation in the region. The TPLF was announced as a member of a new alliance of anti-government armed groups from across the country on Sunday. Ethiopia faces multiple insurgencies, including in its most populous regions, Oromia and Amhara.
The federal government has launched multiple drone strikes in Tigray and massed troops at the regional border. Rights groups have accused the TPLF of a campaign of forced recruitment this year as it prepares for renewed conflict. The region has not recovered from the last war, with around one million people still displaced and many aspects of the peace agreement still unfulfilled.
Ethiopian authorities have accused the TPLF of allying with neighbouring Eritrea, as well as Ethiopian armed groups. The federal government has a significant military advantage, having increased production of military drones since the last conflict. The situation in the Tigray region remains volatile, with concerns of a potential return to war.
The suspension of Ethiopian Airlines flights to the Tigray region has disrupted travel and raised concerns about the humanitarian situation in the region. The international community is closely monitoring the situation, with the African Union and other organizations calling for a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
Key points
- The TPLF's seizure of the airport in Mekelle has raised concerns about the security situation in the region.
- The federal government has launched multiple drone strikes in Tigray and massed troops at the regional border.
- The region has not recovered from the last war, with around one million people still displaced.
