- Residents urged to assist in forming new local administration in Mekelle
- Eritrean troop movements reported near border areas raise regional security concerns
MEKELLE, Ethiopia: Following the departure of anti-government forces, Ethiopian federal police deployed across the Tigray regional capital on Friday. Using loudspeakers, officers urged residents to assist in establishing a new administrative structure after the rebel withdrawal.
Over the weekend, government-aligned fighters entered Mekelle, the capital of Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region, following the announcement by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) that it had withdrawn. The TPLF had allied with six other opposition groups last month in a coalition aimed at removing Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed from power. Fighting intensified late last month, threatening the 2022 peace agreement, and the rebels seized control of the Mekelle airport and the city, one of the country’s largest.
On Saturday, the rebels stated their forces had withdrawn, mirroring tactics used during the previous two-year war that concluded with a peace deal in 2022. The move appeared intended to spare the city from destruction.
Despite this, local government offices remained closed on Friday as the city awaited the installation of new authorities. Security is currently maintained by police and the government-allied Tigray Peace Force. Although members of the new civilian administration arrived with federal police on Thursday, they stated they were still awaiting instructions.
The Tigray Peace Force, which incorporates former members of the TPLF’s armed wing, imposed an overnight curfew on Wednesday. By Thursday, federal officers carrying rifles were observed alongside camouflage-painted pickup trucks on a tree-lined road, while others patrolled in open-backed vehicles as pedestrians, cars, and three-wheeled taxis moved through an intersection. No administration had officially taken office by Friday morning.
Television and radio stations in Tigray have been off the air since the TPLF withdrawal. While the government under Abiy Ahmed promised to restore banking, electricity, telecommunications, and water services, it provided no timetable for the restoration. It also outlined plans to register individuals involved in the conflict and support their return to civilian life.
Eritrean Troop Movements Spark Regional Fears
Further north, a government-aligned commander and a conflict monitoring group have separately reported Eritrean troops entering Ethiopia, heightening fears of a wider conflict.
Ermiyas Ababu, a Tigray Peace Force commander, stated that Eritrean personnel entered Adigrat on Tuesday and Idaga Hamus on Wednesday, citing reports from his own personnel in the area.
The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) reported that Eritrean troops crossed the border at Zelambesa on Wednesday and came under drone attack at Guada while traveling toward Idaga Hamus, attributing the strikes to the Ethiopian military. The Associated Press could not independently verify either account.
Eritrean Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel stated in a release: “We are not in the business of refuting wild allegations or narratives.” He accused Ethiopia of threatening regional peace through its pursuit of “sovereign access to the sea,” without explicitly confirming or denying the reported troop crossing.
Tensions Rise Between Former Regional Allies
Eritrea has previously denied Ethiopian allegations that it supports the TPLF, which was its enemy during the 2020-2022 Tigray war, when Eritrean troops fought alongside Ethiopian federal forces. During that conflict, AP reporting documented accounts from survivors and witnesses accusing Eritrean soldiers of killings, rape, and looting. Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki dismissed allegations of abuses by his forces as “a fantasy” in 2023.
Eritrea announced last week that it was severing diplomatic ties after Ethiopia expelled 10 Eritrean diplomats and closed its embassy in Asmara.
Abiy reiterated on Monday that landlocked Ethiopia must have access to the Red Sea. Ethiopia’s Foreign Ministry stated Monday that it remained committed to dialogue with its neighbors.
