Ethiopian rebel forces withdraw from Tigray regional capital
Two residents in Mekelle tell the BBC pro-government forces have taken control of the city.
Ethiopian rebel forces pull back from Tigray regional capital
Rebel forces in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region said they have temporarily pulled out of the regional capital, Mekelle, as fighting with the national army advances toward the city.
The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), which has been governing the region, said it decided to move because of worries about the danger to civilians.
Two Mekelle residents told the BBC that pro-government forces now hold the city and that TPLF fighters have left it. One resident also said mobile phone service appears to have returned in parts of the city.
In recent weeks, clashes have broken out between the TPLF and federal government forces, together with allied fighters, in parts of Ethiopia’s northern Tigray, Afar and Amhara regions.
The move represents a significant turn in the conflict and has heightened concern among observers that the fighting could further destabilise the Horn of Africa, possibly pulling in neighbouring countries.
The US Department of State urged "restraint" and "dialogue" from all sides ahead of a diplomatic meeting in Egypt on Sunday about the conflict, involving leaders from some of Ethiopia’s neighbours.
Residents of Tigray have been trying to rebuild after a devastating two-year civil war that ended in 2022, when the African Union (AU) brokered a peace agreement, known as the Pretoria Agreement, between the two sides.
But over the past six months, relations have deteriorated, with both sides accusing the other of breaking the agreement.
Last month, the TPLF joined six other armed movements, including the Fano militia from Amhara, to create an alliance whose declared aim is to remove Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government from power.
The civil war was among the deadliest conflicts of this century - the AU’s mediator estimated that about 600,000 people died as the fighting pushed the region to the brink of famine.
On Friday, Ethiopia and Eritrea cut diplomatic ties after Addis Ababa accused Asmara of backing a new rebel alliance - an accusation Eritrea denied.
Ethiopia has also accused Egypt of supporting the rebels, prompting the expulsion of an Egyptian diplomat, and Cairo responded by ordering an Ethiopian embassy official to leave within the same period.
The United Nations has warned that the worsening security situation in northern Ethiopia is badly disrupting humanitarian operations and has called on all sides to ensure safe and unhindered access for people in need.