Ethiopian Forces take control of Mekelle Airport as fighting escalates

Ethiopian government forces have announced that they are conducting clearance operations inside Mekelle, the capital of the Tigray region, Reuters reported.

AFP reported that Ethiopian forces and allied groups have also taken control of Mekelle’s Alula Aba Nega International Airport for a second consecutive day.

Government offices and other facilities in the city were reportedly left largely deserted after Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) forces withdrew.

The developments represent a major setback for the TPLF, which had rapidly sought to regain control of Tigray after fighting resumed on September 23.

Government forces and their allies have reportedly made swift advances in several areas, putting renewed pressure on the TPLF.

The TPLF and its allied groups are now reportedly withdrawing toward rural and mountainous areas of Tigray. Their positions in parts of the Afar region have also come under increasing pressure as government forces seek to consolidate their gains.

The latest developments could take the conflict into a more sensitive phase if Ethiopian forces move toward the Eritrean border. Adigrat, one of the major towns closest to Eritrea, is strategically important because of its location along routes leading toward Eritrea and the Red Sea.

The fighting comes four years after the Pretoria peace agreement brought an end to the previous Tigray war, a conflict that killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced millions.

The renewed hostilities have raised concerns that the latest conflict could expand beyond Tigray amid growing tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea and wider regional disputes involving Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan.

The escalation has prompted warnings from the African Union and other international Countries .

The AU has called on Ethiopia to exercise maximum restraint and immediately de-escalate tensions, while urging the parties to return to dialogue under the Pretoria peace agreement.

The United Nations and European Union have also expressed concern over the deteriorating situation and warned against actions that could trigger a wider conflict in the region.

Mustaqbal