Ethiopian Federal Forces Retake Control Of Mekelle
- Ethiopian federal forces and allied Tigray Peace Force fighters took control of Mekelle, after the Tigray People's Liberation Front withdrew from the regional capital.
- Government forces and allied militia entered Mekelle, after the TPLF announced it was retreating from the city to protect civilians and would temporarily operate from another location.
- Médecins Sans Frontières reported that war-wounded patients surged at hospitals across northern Ethiopia as fighting resumed.
Ethiopian federal forces and allied Tigray Peace Force fighters took control of Mekelle, after the Tigray People’s Liberation Front withdrew from the regional capital.
Federal Forces Retake Mekelle
Government forces and allied militia entered Mekelle, after the TPLF announced it was retreating from the city to protect civilians and would temporarily operate from another location. The British Broadcasting Corporation reported that mobile phone services have resumed in parts of the city. The Tigray Peace Forces posted on Facebook that their fighters controlled the provincial capital following the TPLF’s retreat. During that previous conflict, an estimated 600,000 people died as fighting drove the region toward famine, and Tigray residents have since been trying to recover. Analysts warn that the worst escalation since the 2020-2022 civil war threatens to turn into a wider regional conflict involving a broader set of actors than the previous war.
Medical Responders Face Casumen Influx
Médecins Sans Frontières reported that war-wounded patients surged at hospitals across northern Ethiopia as fighting resumed. In Korem and Alamata, war-wounded admissions rose from approximately 180 to more than 420 patients between September 22 and September 25, according to the medical organization. Suhul hospital in Shire received more than 300 war-wounded patients over the same period, while Médecins Sans Frontières suspended activities at Alamata hospital and regional outreach programs due to worsening security conditions.
Regional Diplomatic Relations Rupture
The renewed conflict involves actors beyond Ethiopia’s borders, with Addis Ababa accusing Eritrea, Egypt, and Sudan of backing the TPLF-led opposition alliance. Ethiopia and Eritrea severed diplomatic relations after Addis Ababa accused Asmara of supporting a new rebel alliance. Cairo rejected allegations of involvement, with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty stating to Reuters that Egypt is not a party to Ethiopia’s domestic crisis. Meanwhile, the presidents of Egypt, Eritrea, and Somalia, alongside the head of Sudan’s army, gathered in El-Alamein on Sunday to call for respect for state sovereignty and peaceful dispute resolution, the BBC reported. Eritrea and Sudan also deny helping the rebels. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the head of Sudan’s army, was due to attend the talks. It is an existential issue,
Abdelatty said, adding that It’s life or death for 110 million people.
Diplomatic Meetings And Scheduled Talks In Egypt
Regional leaders gathered in high-level diplomatic discussions in Egypt regarding stability in the Horn of Africa, following statements by the US Department of State urging restraint and dialogue among all parties ahead of the meeting in El-Alamein. On Sunday, the presidents of Egypt, Eritrea, Somalia, and Sudan met in the Egyptian coastal city of El-Alamein and called for respecting the sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of states, as well as the resolution of disputes through peaceful means.