Ethiopia's Virgin Mary festival in Tigray cancelled over drone strike fears
An eagerly anticipated gathering of women will not be taking place following recent aerial strikes.
Ethiopia's Ashenda festival, a significant cultural and religious event honoring women and the Virgin Mary, has been called off in Mekelle, the capital of the Tigray region. The cancellation stems from concerns that the gathering could become a target for drone attacks.
The festival's main event, a large assembly at a Mekelle stadium scheduled for Saturday, was expected to draw thousands of young women adorned in festive attire.
Tigray is still recovering from a brutal two-year civil war that concluded in 2022. Recent deadly drone strikes, which regional authorities attribute to federal armed forces, have fueled worries about a potential resurgence of conflict. The Ethiopian government has not yet responded to the BBC's request for comment regarding these accusations.
The three-day Ashenda festival coincides with Orthodox Christians' commemoration of the Virgin Mary. Its name, meaning "the tall green grass" in Tigrinya, has evolved into a broader cultural celebration of women. Girls and young women in Tigray and other parts of northern Ethiopia eagerly anticipate the festival. During this time, they dress up, style their hair uniquely, and are free to dance and play outdoors, activities typically discouraged at other times of the year.
The most recent drone strike in Mekelle occurred on Thursday, resulting in injuries to 13 civilians and damage to homes, according to Tigray's communications affairs bureau. Regional officials also reported two drone strikes near Dandera, 15km (nine miles) from Mekelle, on August 18, stating that one person died and another was injured. Additionally, they reported a strike in the Raya-Alamata district on August 10, which left three people dead.
Dori Asgedom, head of Tigray's culture and tourism bureau, announced the cancellation of Saturday's stadium gathering, citing "ongoing drone strikes and the threat of war." He condemned the drone attack on innocent citizens in Mekelle as "an act that history will not forgive and should be condemned."
Following Thursday's attack, the Tigray regional administration urged the "international community to break their silence," condemn the events, and "take urgent diplomatic action to prevent further escalation."
In 2022, the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) and the federal government signed a peace agreement, ending two years of fighting that is estimated to have caused hundreds of thousands of deaths. However, political tensions this year have raised fears of renewed conflict. This follows the TPLF's removal of the interim administration established under the peace deal and the reinstatement of its pre-war council. Both sides accuse each other of failing to uphold the agreement.