Irreecha Festival Brings Peace Appeals as Reports Point to Fighting in Mekelle
Oromo communities gathered in Addis Ababa for Irreecha, calling for peace as reports indicated that federal forces had entered Mekelle and Tigrayan forces had withdrawn from the city.
Tens of thousands of Oromo gathered in Addis Ababa on Saturday for the Irreecha thanksgiving festival, using the occasion to appeal for peace as tensions around Ethiopia’s Tigray region intensified.
Table Of Content
The gathering took place amid reports that Ethiopian federal forces had entered Mekelle, the capital of Tigray. Tigrayan forces were also reported to have left the city. The military developments have not been independently confirmed in the available reporting.
Fears of renewed conflict between the federal government and Tigrayan rebels had been growing for weeks. Fighting reportedly began about 10 days earlier after the Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front launched attacks on neighbouring states, although the identities of those states were not specified.
Festival participants call for an end to war
Participants at Irreecha said the conflict was harming civilians and urged political leaders and armed groups to pursue an agreement.
“Even though peace has been disturbed in the past years, the Oromo are now celebrating Irreecha beautifully, but there are wars in various places,” said Simert Ababa, a student.
Ababa said the situation needed to be stabilised and that the government had a responsibility to protect civilians. “Children should not miss their education, mothers should not be harmed, children should not be harmed,” she said.
Bilise Mohammed, another student, called for an agreement to end the fighting in the north. “To the government and to those who are fighting, peace comes first. The people are the ones that are dying, this won’t take you anywhere,” Mohammed said.
Merchant Carra Mekonen also called for freedom of movement and peaceful relations across Ethiopia’s regions, including Oromia, Tigray and Amhara. Mekonen said people should be able to conduct their business normally, from Wollega in Oromia to other parts of the country.
Regional tensions deepen
The reported developments in Mekelle came alongside a deterioration in Ethiopia’s relations with Eritrea and Egypt.
Ethiopia expelled 10 Eritrean diplomats and closed its embassy in Asmara on Thursday. Eritrea responded that it would “sever all diplomatic ties.” Eritrea has accused landlocked Ethiopia of intending to invade and obtain access to its coastline.
Ethiopia also expelled an Egyptian diplomat without providing an explanation, while Cairo took a reciprocal action. The available reporting does not identify either diplomat or provide further details about the measures.
The conflict has also drawn attention to the wider regional stakes. TPLF leader Debretsion said in a video message that “the war is regional and it is a war to control the Red Sea.”
Unresolved conflict
The TPLF governed Ethiopia from 1991 to 2018 before being marginalised following the rise of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who comes from Oromia. Tensions between Tigray and the federal government erupted into war in 2020.
Mekelle fell to government forces that year. The ensuing civil war lasted two years and killed more than 600,000 people, according to the reporting. A peace deal reached in 2022 brought an uneasy calm that lasted until the following year but was never fully implemented.
Debretsion has implied that Tigrayan forces could continue guerrilla-style attacks, as they did after Mekelle fell in 2020. Against that backdrop, Irreecha participants used the festival to press for an end to violence and renewed stability.
No Comment! Be the first one.