What changed
The Tigray People’s Liberation Front says it has temporarily withdrawn from Mekelle as fighting with Ethiopia’s federal forces and allied fighters moves toward the city. Residents told the BBC that pro-government forces now control Mekelle, while mobile phone services appear to have resumed in parts of the regional capital.
Why it matters
Mekelle changing hands marks a sharp turn in a conflict that has already devastated Tigray. The TPLF says it moved because of the risks to civilians, but the withdrawal’s duration and strategic purpose remain unclear. The extent of government control, and conditions inside the city, are also still uncertain.
The fighting has spread across parts of Tigray, Afar and Amhara. That makes this more than a battle for one regional capital: it is another test of Ethiopia’s fragile settlement after the Pretoria Agreement ended the previous civil war in 2022.
That war killed about 600,000 people, according to the African Union mediator, and pushed the region toward famine. The renewed fighting now threatens humanitarian work, with the United Nations warning that insecurity is severely disrupting access to people who need help.
The diplomatic stakes are rising too. Ethiopia and Eritrea severed relations on Friday after Ethiopia accused Eritrea of supporting a new rebel alliance, an allegation Eritrea denied. Ethiopia has also accused Egypt of backing the rebels, prompting expulsions by both countries.
The immediate outlook is grim: if fighting around Mekelle continues, civilian protection and aid access could deteriorate further. The United States has called for restraint and dialogue ahead of a regional diplomatic meeting in Egypt, but the next decisive signal will be whether the withdrawal becomes a short tactical move or a lasting loss of control for the TPLF.
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