Ethiopian Forces Reportedly Retake Mekelle Airport as Tigray Fighting Intensifies

Ethiopian troops and pro-government forces have reportedly regained control of Alula Aba Nega Airport in Mekelle, as fighting between the federal government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and its allies continued across northern Ethiopia.

The reported recapture came after more than a week of intense fighting. The airport, located about 10km east of central Mekelle, was one of three airfields reportedly seized by rebel forces at the start of the latest clashes on September 23.

Reuters cited a source familiar with developments in Mekelle and a humanitarian source in reporting that government forces had retaken the airport. A Mekelle resident also confirmed the reported change in control. The precise date and circumstances of the recapture have not been specified.

Fighting across three regions

Clashes have been reported across Tigray, Amhara and Afar. Mohammed Taha Tawakel, Al Jazeera’s bureau chief in Ethiopia, said forces aligned with the federal government had made significant gains, captured several towns and moved closer to Mekelle.

A local journalist speaking to AFP said TPLF fighters and leaders were leaving Mekelle. The journalist also reported that government offices and police stations in the city had been left without security personnel. Residents expressed concern about the possible exposure of public and government property to looting and about the spread of lawlessness.

The Tigray Peace Force said it had captured Alamata, a town near Tigray’s southern border with Amhara. Alamata is described as a supply hub for troops, fuel and food.

The Ethiopian military said about 270 Tigrayan fighters had been killed and more than 200 wounded around North Wollo. Those figures have not been independently verified. At least 52 civilians have also been reported killed in fighting in northern Ethiopia, although the source material does not identify the attribution for that figure.

Humanitarian and rights concerns

Doctors Without Borders, also known as MSF, reported a rise in the number of wounded people in northern Ethiopia. Amnesty International said it had received credible reports of civilian objects being destroyed by shelling and air strikes, intensified forced conscription and other possible violations of international humanitarian and human rights law.

Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty International’s regional director for East and Southern Africa, urged the African Union Peace and Security Council to convene an emergency session on Ethiopia. He said the organisation should activate its response mechanisms before civilian casualties and the risk of mass atrocities increase further.

The renewed fighting has shattered the Pretoria Agreement, the peace deal signed in November 2022. An explosion was also reported at Ethiopia’s Ministry of Defence in Addis Ababa, although no cause was provided in the report.

Dispute over Eritrea’s role

The Ethiopian government has accused Eritrea of supporting armed groups opposed to Addis Ababa. Eritrea has rejected the allegation and denied involvement in the war.

Eritrea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the country had severed diplomatic relations with Ethiopia, saying it had “no option but to reciprocate in kind and sever all diplomatic ties with Ethiopia.” The two countries restored ties in 2018 after more than two decades of tensions, but relations later deteriorated.

Analysts have warned that the conflict could draw in neighbouring countries. Laura Hammond, a professor of development studies at SOAS University of London, said the risks of regionalisation were already visible and that Eritrea could become more involved if the fighting continued.

She also warned that the conflict could worsen relations with and inside Sudan. The offensive in Afar could threaten supply routes from Djibouti, through which most of Ethiopia’s imports, including fuel, pass. Wider concerns also extend to Sudan, Somalia and trade routes through the Red Sea.