Ethiopian Forces Retake Mekelle and Adwa Amid Eritrea Tensions
Ethiopian government forces recaptured Mekelle and Adwa from Tigrayan rebels, sparking a diplomatic crisis with Eritrea over accusations of foreign troop incursions.
Government-allied forces in Ethiopia recaptured the regional capital of Mekelle on October 3, following a period of renewed fighting with the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). The TPLF had previously seized the city's airport on September 23. On October 11, federal forces and allied militias entered the strategic town of Adwa in northern Tigray after rebel forces withdrew. This advance pushed the TPLF back toward the Eritrean border after the group had previously made gains in the Afar region.
Abiy Ahmed Ali, the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, dispatched adviser Getachew Reda to Mekelle on October 11, where Reda promised a "visible change" for the region. Following the military gains, Ethiopian Airlines resumed flights to Mekelle and telecommunications services were restored.
The internal conflict has triggered a diplomatic crisis with Eritrea. Ethiopia accuses Eritrea of supporting the TPLF and deploying between 5,000 and 8,000 soldiers into Tigray. Eritrea denies these claims, with Foreign Minister Osman Saleh characterizing Ethiopia's actions as a "deplorable declaration of war" and requesting that the United Nations Security Council take deterrent measures. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has urged all parties to cease hostilities and return to dialogue to prevent further regional destabilization.
