Ethiopia’s forces retake Mekelle amid renewed Tigray fighting

What Happened

Ethiopian federal forces and allied Tigray Peace Force fighters retook Mekelle, the capital of Tigray, on Saturday after the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) withdrew from the city. The TPLF confirmed the withdrawal on Saturday, saying its regional administration would temporarily operate from another location and describing the move as tactical. A pro-government militia source, a humanitarian worker, and a Mekelle resident confirmed to Reuters on Sunday that government forces and allied fighters controlled the city, including key locations such as the airport. The capture comes less than four years after the African Union-facilitated Pretoria agreement of November 2022 ended the 2020–22 Tigray war. Separately, diplomatic sources said explosions were heard in several parts of Addis Ababa, including near the headquarters of Ethiopia’s military. Reuters reported that a source linked to an opposition alliance claimed the group had carried out drone strikes in Addis Ababa, including against military facilities; the claim could not be independently verified. On Thursday, Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the closure of its embassy in Asmara and declared 10 Eritrean diplomats persona non grata; Eritrea subsequently announced it was severing diplomatic relations.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The fall of Mekelle revives fears of a return to the devastating 2020–22 Tigray war, which killed hundreds of thousands of people by estimates, displaced millions and wrecked infrastructure. Unlike that war, the current fighting involves a wider set of actors: the TPLF is part of a broader opposition alliance including armed groups from several regions, and fighting has spread into Afar. The simultaneous rupture with Eritrea—Ethiopia closing its embassy in Asmara, declaring 10 Eritrean diplomats persona non grata, and Eritrea severing ties—raises the risk of a wider regional conflict, while explosions in Addis Ababa bring the violence to the capital and heighten fears of economic collapse and a Sudan-like scenario.

Watch For

Monitor whether the TPLF, having framed the withdrawal as tactical, launches a counteroffensive or moves its administration to a declared alternative location; whether fighting expands further in Afar and other regions under the broader opposition alliance; whether Addis Ababa experiences more drone strikes or explosions, especially near military headquarters; and whether the Ethiopia-Eritrea diplomatic rupture escalates into border or proxy confrontation. Also watch for humanitarian displacement and responses, and any federal government statements on the Pretoria Agreement’s status.