Tigrayan rebel forces have taken control of the Alula Aba Nega Airport in Mekelle, the capital of Ethiopia's Tigray region. According to security and local sources, the airport was seized on Wednesday. The development comes as tensions escalate between the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), which controls the region, and the federal government. The TPLF has been involved in a civil war with the federal government since 2020.
The civil war between the TPLF and the federal government lasted from 2020 to 2022, resulting in approximately 600,000 deaths, according to African Union estimates. Although sporadic clashes have occurred in recent months, fears of a return to full-scale war have grown. An employee at the airport reported that they were informed the airport had been taken over by Tigray forces while on their way to work.
The takeover of the airport was confirmed by a foreign security source based in Ethiopia. A small contingent of federal police typically guards the airport, but their condition remains unknown. Flight Radar, an air traffic tracking service, showed that a flight between Mekelle and Addis Ababa, the federal capital, was cancelled on Wednesday morning.
Ethiopian Airlines announced the temporary suspension of flights to Mekele, Axum, and Shire, effective immediately, due to the situation in the Tigray region. The national carrier's decision follows the seizure of the airport and rising tensions in the region. The TPLF was recently announced as a member of a new alliance of anti-government armed groups from across Ethiopia.
Ethiopia faces multiple insurgencies, particularly in its most populous regions, Oromia and Amhara. The TPLF previously ruled Ethiopia from 1991 to 2018 before being sidelined with the rise of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, which ultimately led to the civil war. The Pretoria Peace Agreement ended the conflict, but clashes resumed in late 2025.
Human rights groups have accused the TPLF of a forced recruitment campaign this year as it prepares for renewed conflict. The region has not recovered from the last war, with approximately one million people still displaced and many aspects of the peace agreement unfulfilled. Ethiopian authorities have accused the TPLF of allying with neighboring Eritrea and other Ethiopian armed groups.
The federal government has a significant military advantage, having increased production of military drones since the last conflict. The development has raised concerns about the potential for escalated violence in the region. The situation remains volatile, with ongoing tensions between the TPLF and the federal government.
Key points
- Tigrayan rebel forces seize control of Alula Aba Nega Airport in Mekelle, Ethiopia.
- The development comes amid rising tensions between the TPLF and the federal government.
- The region has not recovered from the last war, with approximately one million people still displaced.
