Tigrayan Forces Take Mekelle Airport as Ethiopian Airlines Halts Regional Flights

Tigrayan forces took control of the main airport in Mekelle, the capital of Ethiopia's northern Tigray region, overnight, according to three local sources, including a security source. The development prompted Ethiopian Airlines to suspend flights to the region, heightening concerns that the fragile peace may be unravelling.

The state-owned carrier announced on social media that services to Mekelle, Shire and Axum had been halted "due to the current situation in Tigray region," without elaborating. The situation in Shire and Axum could not be independently confirmed.

Spokespeople for Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, the federal government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The airport seizure follows months of steadily worsening relations between the federal government and the TPLF, the party that governs Tigray. The two sides fought a devastating war from 2020 to 2022 that left hundreds of thousands dead. Although they signed the Pretoria Agreement in November 2022 to end hostilities, both have repeatedly accused the other of violating the deal. In May, the TPLF took over the regional administration from an interim government established under the peace accord.

On Sunday, the TPLF and six other armed groups from across Ethiopia announced an alliance aimed at toppling Abiy's government. Billene Seyoum, the prime minister's spokesperson, said on Monday that members of the new coalition had been cooperating for some time with financial support from Eritrea, Ethiopia's neighbour and historic adversary. Eritrea has consistently denied backing Ethiopian armed factions.

Jawar Mohammed, a political analyst and former close ally of Abiy, said he doubted the TPLF was prepared for a full-scale war. "It could be flexing muscles to appeal to the international community to step in and activate Pretoria (Agreement) more strongly," he said.

In recent months, the Ethiopian military has conducted several drone strikes targeting Tigrayan forces, according to data from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data project. On Tuesday, the United States condemned a recent drone strike on a Catholic Relief Services humanitarian convoy in Tigray and called for a thorough investigation, without assigning responsibility. The Catholic Eparchy of Adigrat said the Sunday attack destroyed a truck carrying more than 41,000 tons of food aid intended for internally displaced people. The federal government has not commented on any of the reported strikes.