Ethiopian federal forces have regained control of the main airport in Mekelle, the capital of the northern Tigray region, according to multiple sources, as fighting intensifies and concerns grow that the renewed conflict could spread beyond Ethiopia.
The reported recapture of Alula Aba Nega Airport on Saturday represents a significant development in the latest confrontation between Ethiopia’s federal government and an opposition alliance led by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).
Reports from Mekelle indicated that Ethiopian federal forces had regained control of Alula Aba Nega Airport. Reuters cited a source familiar with developments in the city and a humanitarian source as confirming that government troops had retaken the airport. A third source, a Mekelle resident, also confirmed the development and said they could hear gunfire outside the city centre. Reuters said it could not independently verify the additional claims made by the resident.
The Associated Press also spoke to people in Mekelle who confirmed that federal forces had taken control of the airport. An Ethiopian general, speaking anonymously because of the sensitivity of the situation, told the AP: “The military is in full control of the airport. That much I can confirm.”
However, the precise situation inside Mekelle remains unclear.
Severe disruptions to internet and telephone networks have made it difficult to independently verify developments in the city. Neither the Ethiopian government nor the TPLF had issued an official statement confirming the reported change in control of the airport at the time of the reports.
FIGHTING THREATENS FRAGILE PEACE
The latest violence began on September 23 and represents the most serious escalation in northern Ethiopia since the devastating 2020–2022 Tigray war.
Tigrayan forces had seized the airports in Mekelle, Axum and Shire at the beginning of the renewed fighting. The takeover prompted Ethiopian Airlines to suspend flights to the three destinations, disrupting civilian air travel in the region.
The African Union has warned that the renewed violence threatens the peace process established by the November 2022 Pretoria Agreement, which ended the previous war.
The continental body has called for an immediate reduction in tensions and urged the parties to return to direct talks under the agreement. It has also asked former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, the AU’s High Representative for the Horn of Africa, to engage the parties as part of renewed diplomatic efforts.
ETHIOPIA-ERITREA TENSIONS DEEPEN
The fighting is unfolding alongside a sharp deterioration in Ethiopia’s relations with neighbouring Eritrea.
Ethiopia has accused Eritrea of supporting the TPLF-led opposition alliance, an allegation Eritrea has rejected. Ethiopia also accused Sudan and Egypt of involvement, claims that have likewise been denied.
The diplomatic dispute intensified this week after Ethiopia ordered the closure of its embassy in Eritrea and expelled 10 Eritrean diplomats. Eritrea responded by announcing that it would sever diplomatic relations with Ethiopia.
The African Union has urged Ethiopia, Eritrea and Egypt to exercise maximum restraint and resolve their differences through diplomatic channels, warning against actions or statements that could further destabilise the region.
The developments have raised concerns about the possibility of the conflict taking on a wider regional dimension, particularly because of the political and security interests of neighboring countries in the Horn of Africa.
