Mekelle takeover deepens uncertainty over Tigray’s political future
Federal-aligned forces entered Tigray’s regional capital after the TPLF withdrew, saying it would continue fighting from elsewhere. The extent of federal control and the next steps for regional administration remain unclear.
Ethiopian federal forces and allied fighters entered Mekelle after the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) said it had temporarily withdrawn. Sources cited by Reuters said government-aligned forces controlled the city; a resident told the agency they had taken key sites, including the airport.
The TPLF said its regional administration would operate elsewhere and that its forces would continue the conflict. The withdrawal therefore leaves the political and security situation unresolved, with the full extent of fighting and the firmness of federal control unclear.
The takeover follows renewed clashes and revives concerns about further displacement and hardship. The November 2022 Pretoria agreement ended large-scale fighting in the 2020–22 war, but disputes over territory, displaced people and disarmament remained unresolved. In July, the TPLF said the agreement had effectively collapsed; the federal government rejected that claim and said it remained committed to the peace process.
The renewed fighting has also spread into Afar, while Ethiopia and Eritrea have severed diplomatic relations amid mutual accusations. The rupture adds a regional dimension to an already unsettled conflict.
A former head of the Tigray Interim Administration said preparations were under way for a new regional administration and elections within months. How that process will proceed alongside the TPLF’s stated intention to continue fighting remains uncertain.
