Ethiopian Federal Forces Retake Mekelle Airport from Tigrayan Fighters

Ethiopian federal forces have retaken the airport in Mekelle, the capital of the northern Tigray region, according to residents who spoke to the Associated Press on Saturday. This development reverses a takeover by Tigrayan fighters that had led to the suspension of commercial flights last month.

It remains unclear when federal forces recaptured Alula Aba Nega Airport. Individuals providing the information declined to be identified due to fear of retribution amidst uncertainty over who controls the city. Disruptions to internet and cellphone networks have made verifying information from Tigray difficult, and details regarding how the airport changed hands, including whether fighting occurred there, are not yet clear.

An Ethiopian general, speaking anonymously, confirmed that the military is in full control of the airport. Neither the Ethiopian government nor the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) had issued an official statement regarding the airport’s reported capture, and control of Mekelle itself was also unconfirmed. Residents in the city expressed fears of looting amid the uncertainty.

Jalale Getachew Birru, an Ethiopia analyst for ACLED, a global monitor of conflict data, stated that "many reports indicate that the government and allied forces have begun to control Tigray’s capital." The AP has not independently verified these reports.

TPLF fighters initially seized the airport on September 23, prompting Ethiopian Airlines to suspend flights to Mekelle and the Tigrayan cities of Axum and Shire. The African Union has urged restraint, warning that renewed tensions could threaten the peace agreement signed in 2022.

Federal troops are currently engaged in combat alongside allied Tigrayan forces against the TPLF. The Tigray Peace Force, a breakaway faction of the Tigrayan rebels, has been reported to be operating with federal forces in the neighboring Afar region.

The reported shift in control comes amid a sharp deterioration in relations between Ethiopia and neighboring Eritrea. On Thursday, Ethiopia ordered 10 Eritrean diplomats to leave the country and announced the closure of its embassy in Eritrea, a move that Eritrea responded to by stating it would sever diplomatic ties.

Ethiopian authorities have accused Eritrea of supporting the TPLF, an allegation Eritrea has denied. The U.S. State Department issued a statement on Saturday urging both Ethiopia and Eritrea to exercise restraint and return to diplomatic talks. "Increasing cross-border tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea have the potential to affect the entire region," said State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott. "The Horn of Africa cannot sustain another military conflict and humanitarian crisis. A conflict jeopardizes ongoing U.S. collaboration on shared interests with both countries."

According to Birru, if Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government regains control of Mekelle, it is likely to place regional security under the management of the Tigray Peace Force, composed of former members of the Tigray Defense Forces.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has faced challenges in subduing Tigray’s rebellious leaders in recent months, with TPLF Chairman Debretsion Gebremichael openly confronting him. Resumed fighting has shattered a 2022 peace deal that ended a devastating two-year war between federal troops, supported by Eritrea and allied militias, and the TPLF.

"This is an extraordinary and largely unexpected turn in a war whose direction looked very different only days ago," Getachew Temare, an independent attorney and human rights defender from Ethiopia, commented on the potential fall of Mekelle in an analysis shared on X. "But the most consequential question is not whether Mekelle falls. It is what this fall means politically."

Temare noted that the emergence of the Tigray Peace Force distinguishes the current conflict from previous ones. He recalled that when Mekelle fell to federal forces in November 2020, the TPLF "retained something far more important. A substantial political and social constituency for armed resistance remained intact. Within months, Tigrayan forces returned to Mekelle and the military balance was dramatically reversed."

The renewed fighting has exacerbated hardships for civilians still recovering from the 2020-2022 war. Earlier this week, Mekelle residents informed the AP about disruptions to communications, banking, and other essential services. In September, residents described fears of renewed isolation following the suspension of flights, and also reported closures of roads connecting Tigray and Afar to civilian traffic, though the AP could not independently verify these closures.