The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and allied forces have taken control of Mekelle airport, heightening concerns of a renewed civil war in Ethiopia. The regional government announced a defensive conflict against federal troops, while a newly formed coalition, led by the TPLF, pledged to remove Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and install a transitional administration in his place.
Tigrayan forces carried out overnight operations to secure the airport, local sources confirmed. Ethiopian Airlines immediately suspended all flights to Mekelle, Shire, and Axum on Wednesday, citing “the current situation in Tigray.” The airline apologized to affected passengers while vowing to provide updates on service restoration. Regional authorities blamed the federal government for launching a ground offensive after air and artillery strikes on Tuesday, though Addis Ababa has not issued a public response.
The latest escalation threatens to collapse the 2022 peace agreement that ended two years of brutal warfare between federal forces and the TPLF. That conflict resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths and left Tigray in a severe humanitarian crisis. The World Health Organization had already warned last month that Ethiopia was on the brink of another major conflict, as drone attacks and clashes intensified across the region.
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Ethiopian Airlines had previously halted flights to Tigray in January due to renewed military activity, reflecting ongoing instability. The Ethiopian Peoples’ Forces Alliance for Survival, the new coalition, accuses Abiy’s Prosperity Party of authoritarian governance and claims it is driving Ethiopia toward fragmentation. Abiy’s spokesperson, however, countered that the alliance receives financial support from neighboring Eritrea, a claim Eritrean officials have denied.
Violence has now spread beyond Tigray, with reports of clashes in the neighboring Afar and Amhara regions. The regional government’s declaration of a defensive war signals a rapid deterioration in security, increasing fears of a wider resurgence of conflict in a nation still grappling with the aftermath of the previous war.
Humanitarian organizations have expressed alarm over the deteriorating conditions, warning that renewed hostilities could worsen an already dire food and medical supply crisis. The United Nations had previously highlighted Tigray’s vulnerability, noting that recovery efforts remained fragile even after the 2022 ceasefire. With no immediate diplomatic resolution in sight, the risk of further escalation looms large.
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