Tigray forces seize Mekelle airport from federal police, residents say

By Teklemariam Bekit BBC Tigrinya

Image caption: The airport in Mekelle is usually guarded by members of Ethiopia's national police force

Local forces in Ethiopia's northern region of Tigray have seized control of the airport in the regional capital, Mekelle, from federal police, local residents have told the BBC.

No flights are currently landing at the airport, and Ethiopian Airlines has suspended flights to Mekelle and the cities of Shire and Axum due to what it described as the "current situation" in Tigray.

Rising Tensions

There have been escalating tensions this year between the government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), the party that governs Tigray, fuelling fears of a return to civil war.

On Sunday, the TPLF announced an alliance with six armed groups in Ethiopia aimed at removing the government in Addis Ababa.

A two-year war in Tigray ended in November 2022, but both sides are now accusing each other of violating an African Union-mediated peace deal. The conflict was one of the deadliest this century, with the AU's mediator estimating some 600,000 people died as fighting drove the region to the brink of famine.

Drone Strikes and Civilian Casualties

The flight suspension follows a series of reported drone strikes in Tigray.

• On Tuesday, a strike in the southern town of Alamata killed at least 14 people and injured 22 others, according to Tigrayan authorities.
• The town's mayor, Mogos Shiferaw, told the BBC that more than five drones and one fighter jet carried out more than 21 strikes beginning at around 03:30.

"This caused a lot of psychological trauma in our city and our people were in a state of panic," he said.

Mogos said all those killed and injured were civilians, accusing federal forces of targeting two secondary schools. He believed the schools were struck on suspicion that they were being used by Tigrayan forces. However, the mayor said the schools, which had served as federal military bases during the civil war, were unoccupied as the academic year had not yet begun.

The BBC has not independently verified the allegations, and the government has not publicly commented.

International Response

On Wednesday, Tigray authorities accused Addis Ababa of launching an open invasion on the region's residents, urging people to support regional forces and maintain unity.

Meanwhile, the US State Department's Bureau of African Affairs condemned a separate drone strike that it said took place on Monday, targeting a convoy of Catholic vehicles carrying food aid. It called for an investigation and urged all parties to resolve their differences through dialogue and take steps to prevent similar incidents.

Peace Deal Under Strain

Both Addis Ababa and TPLF leaders have faced criticism over delays in implementing key provisions of the Pretoria Agreement, which formally ended the conflict in November 2022.

In July, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed accused the TPLF of preparing for renewed conflict during an address to parliament. Just before the general election in May, the TPLF restored its pre-war administration, disbanding an interim one appointed by Abiy. There have also been reports that the TPLF has been forcibly recruiting young men to join its forces.

More BBC stories about Tigray:

• The young women who fought in Ethiopia's last civil war and don't want to see another one
• Ethiopia PM's party wins landslide as fears grow of new conflict
• Is Ethiopia heading back to war in Tigray?
• 'I lost my leg on the way home from school'

Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.

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Related Topics

• Africa
• Ethiopia

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