Ethiopian Federal Forces Take Control of Tigray Capital Mekelle Following Rebel Withdrawal

Pro-government Ethiopian forces have assumed control of Mekelle, the regional capital of Tigray, following a strategic pullout by rebel fighters from the Tigray People's Liberation Front, according to reporting by BBC News Africa.

Local residents in Mekelle told the BBC that TPLF fighters abandoned the city as military combat drew closer to the perimeter, enabling federal forces to take charge. TPLF chairman Debretsion Gebremichael stated that the rebel group decided to pull back out of concern for civilian safety. Gebremichael emphasized that the withdrawal was a deliberate strategic shift, telling the BBC that the group would continue its operations from another location and attack opposition forces at a time and place of their own choosing.

The recent fighting marks a dangerous escalation across northern Ethiopia, spanning parts of the Tigray, Afar, and Amhara regions. According to the BBC, the TPLF recently formed a broader military coalition with six other armed groups, including the Amhara-based Fano militia, with the explicit objective of removing Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed from office.

Following the TPLF departure, brief instability occurred in Mekelle. Duke Burbridge, an American medical professional with the Health Professionals Network for Tigray, told the BBC Newsday program that initial gunfire and looting appeared to involve armed criminal gangs and individuals released from prison. However, Burbridge noted that normal activity began returning shortly after, with cell phone networks and mobile banking restored after prior blackouts. Burbridge observed that residents returned to restaurants and markets despite lingering shortages of fresh produce.

This renewed instability threatens the peace achieved under the 2022 Pretoria Agreement, a peace deal brokered by the African Union to end two years of devastating civil war. African Union mediators estimated that previous fighting claimed approximately 600,000 lives and pushed the region toward famine. Over the past six months, relations between federal officials and TPLF leadership have broken down, with each side accusing the other of violating peace commitments.

The conflict has also heightened geopolitical tensions across the Horn of Africa. Ethiopia severed diplomatic relations with neighboring Eritrea after alleging Asmara supported the new armed alliance, an accusation Eritrea denied. Tensions between Addis Ababa and Cairo also triggered ambassadorial expulsions, linked both to regional alignments and the ongoing dispute over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Nile River. On Sunday, leaders from Egypt, Eritrea, Somalia, and Sudan met in El-Alamein, Egypt, calling for non-interference and adherence to international law regarding shared water resources. The United Nations warned that fighting is disrupting vital humanitarian relief, while the US Department of State called for restraint.